On Sunday, the Chinese Navy closely monitored two US warships crossing the Taiwan Strait, separating China and Taiwan, the first such operation since the visit of US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi , in Taipei earlier this month, sparking a new round of tension between the two countries. .
US warships sailed through the Taiwan Strait where the Chinese military carried out its biggest drills for several days in August, often crossing the median line that separated the Chinese mainland and Taiwan, which Beijing viciously claims as part of that -this.
“The USS Antietam and USS Chancellorsville, two U.S. guided-missile cruisers, sailed through the Taiwan Strait on August 28 and publicly advertised it, the Army’s Eastern Theater Command (ETC) said Sunday. Chinese People’s Liberation (PLA)
The ETC carried out security monitoring and surveillance of the passage of US warships along the route and controlled all movements of the two US warships, said Senior Colonel Shi Yi, spokesperson for the ETC, in a statement.
PLA Eastern Theater Command troops are still on high alert and preparing to thwart any provocation, he added.
Criticizing the transit of US Navy ships through the island, an article in the state-run Global Times said the US was trying to appease Taiwan authorities and regional allies, making them realize that Washington would not back down under Chinese military pressure. continental.
It is the first time US warships have passed through the Taiwan Strait, a busy and strategic waterway separating China and Taiwan, after Pelosi’s visit, although state media say more than 100 warships Americans have passed through the water since 2012, disputing China’s claims about the area.
The United States has led similar naval and air expeditions in the disputed South China Sea to assert freedom of navigation, thwarting Beijing’s claims to most of the region.
The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have counterclaims over the South China Sea.
Pelosi’s visit, the first by a senior US official in 25 years, sparked a series of visits by US lawmakers to Taipei.
US Senator Marsha Blackburn became the fourth lawmaker to visit Taiwan when she visited Taipei last week.
“I will not be bullied by Communist China into turning their backs on the island,” she told CNN.
“Taiwan is our strongest partner in the Indo-Pacific region. Regular high-level visits to Taipei have been longstanding U.S. policy,” said Blackburn, a Republican from Tennessee who serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee.
Blackburn met Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen and other senior officials during her three-day stay, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported.
After Pelosi’s visit, China went ballistic by conducting massive military exercises for several days, including firing missiles at the island of Taiwan, raising concerns that Beijing might be planning a military offensive.
(Only the title and image of this report may have been edited by Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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