NextFin news, China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Eastern Theatre Command announced on Friday that it deployed naval and air forces to track and monitor the passage of two warships — the US destroyer USS Higgins and the British frigate HMS Richmond — sailing through the Taiwan Strait.
The PLA described the actions of the US and British vessels as "trouble-making and provocation," stating that these actions sent the wrong signals and undermined peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait region.
Senior Colonel Shi Yi, a spokesman for the Eastern Theatre Command, said the Chinese forces were on high alert and ready to safeguard China’s national sovereignty, security, and regional peace.
The Taiwan Strait, a strategic waterway between mainland China and Taiwan, is claimed by China as part of its territorial waters, while Taiwan and many international actors consider it an international waterway.
The British Defence Ministry characterized the transit as a routine passage, affirming that the Royal Navy operates in full compliance with international law and exercises freedom of navigation rights under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
The US Navy also described the transit as routine, emphasizing that the ships passed through a corridor beyond the territorial sea of any coastal state and that navigational rights and freedoms in the Taiwan Strait should not be restricted.
Earlier on the same day, China’s navy reported that its third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, which is still undergoing sea trials, had also passed through the Taiwan Strait.
Last week, Canadian and Australian warships similarly transited the strait, prompting China to deploy forces to monitor those movements as well.
The Taiwan Strait remains a flashpoint in regional security, with China increasing military pressure on Taiwan over recent years, including conducting military exercises near the island.
Sources: The Straits Times, Anadolu Ajansı, Channel News Asia
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