On Saturday, the navy of the United States and Canada floated two warships over the Taiwan Strait in defiance of China’s expansive territorial claims.
According to the U.S. 7th Fleet Navy, the USS Ralph Johnson and the Halifax-class frigate HMCS Ottawa of the Royal Canadian Navy passed through the little stretch of water separating China and Taiwan.
Beijing considers U.S. transits as trespassing and regards Taiwan as a portion of its territory that must be rejoined via force, if necessary.
Provocative activities by the Navy and its allies In the Strait, the cruisers “transited through a corridor that is beyond the territorial sea of any coastal state,” according to the Navy statement.
In what it refers to as “freedom of navigation” operations, the U.S. frequently navigates the strait.
China has increased the frequency of its military operations near Taiwan, including the dispatch of warships and aircraft almost daily.
The Chinese naval ship abruptly crossed an American destroyer’s route in a video that the United States released in June, causing the American ship to slow down in order to prevent a collision.
The American ship was transiting beside a Canadian ship. Chinese soldiers “handled the situation in accordance with law and regulation,” according to Senior Col. Shi Yi, spokesman for the People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command, in a statement.
China claimed to have tracked both ships throughout their entire voyage.
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