A few days after a large-scale military maneuver by China near Taiwan, a US warship passed through the Taiwan Strait. The destroyer “USS Milius” crossed the sea area on Sunday in a “routine transit”, the US Navy said. It was the first US naval deployment in the waters between China and Taiwan since January. A few days ago, Beijing held three-day military maneuvers around Taiwan and practiced a blockade of Taiwan. Beijing regards Taiwan as a breakaway territory that it wants to reunite with the mainland – using military force if necessary. In addition, China regards the entire Strait of Taiwan as its sovereign waters.
The warship had passed through a corridor that was “beyond the territorial waters of any coastal state,” the US Navy said. The passage demonstrates the United States’ commitment to “a free and open Asia-Pacific region.” The United States military goes wherever international law allows.
The Chinese army said it had been tracking the US warship’s movements and was always on standby. The army is ready “to resolutely defend national sovereignty and security as well as peace and stability in the region”. During China’s major maneuvers, the “USS Milius” crossed disputed waters in the South China Sea last week. Beijing had protested against this and spoke of an “illegal intrusion” into its waters.