US warship sails through Taiwan Strait amid rising tensions with China
A US warship on Thursday sailed through the sensitive Taiwan Strait, prompting strong criticism from Beijing amid frayed ties between the two countries.
According to Press TV, the US Army announced in a statement that the transit was carried out by a guided missile destroyer of the Arleigh Burke class.
"Chung-Hoon’s transit through the Taiwan Strait demonstrates the United States’ commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific," Lt. Kristina Wiedemann, a Spokesperson for the US Navy said in a statement.
“The United States military flies, sails and operates anywhere international law allows.”
The Arleigh-Burke class destroyer is part of the Nimitz Carrier Strike Group deployed to the US 7th Fleet in Bahrain.
The Chinese embassy in Washington, however, said the voyage was to "flex muscles", accusing the US of "undermining peace and stability".
Liu Pengyu, a Spokesman for the Embassy, said China firmly opposes the move and urged the United States to "immediately stop provoking troubles, escalating tensions and undermining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait."
"US warships frequently flex muscles in the name of exercising freedom of navigation. This is not about keeping the region free and open," the statement said.
"China will continue to stay on high alert and is ready to respond to all threats and provocations at any time, and will resolutely safeguard its national sovereignty and territorial integrity."
The Chinese authorities have declared full readiness to respond to any threat and provocation and defend their national sovereignty and territorial integrity.
A spokesman of the Eastern Theater Command of the People's Liberation Army of China also said that it has organized forces to monitor and protect the ship's transit and that “all movements are under control”.
Taiwan's Ministry of Defense said the ship had passed through the strait in a northerly direction, where its forces had been monitoring its passage and had not observed anything unusual.
ME
