China condemns US warship sailing through Taiwan Strait

Last updated on December 24th, 2020 at 04:50 am

China condemns US warship: On Monday, China’s first domestically built aircraft carrier Shandong sailed through the Taiwan Strait as part of the training in the South China Sea. The People Liberation Army initiated its naval exercise in the region a day after it spotted US warship, the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Mustin crossing through the Taiwan Strait. China said that its air and naval forces “tailed and monitored” the US vessel. It added that such an act contribute to raising tensions in the region.

China claims Taiwan to be part of its territory and such efforts by US forces were depicted as US intervention in Chinese territory and indirectly supporting Taiwan’s liberation movement. After the US vessel was spotted in the water body between the mainland’s Fujian Province and the island of Taiwan, PLA spokesperson Liu Wensheng said that the Chinese authorities would continue to organise its naval and air training exercises in the region.

On Sunday, Taiwan’s official news agency reported, “Taiwan’s military monitored the Chinese ships during their transit, mobilizing six Navy ships and eight Air Force planes.” Taiwanese ministry added, “The cross-regional training of the aircraft carrier formation is a normal arrangement as per a yearly plan.” 

With regard to the US warship passing through the Taiwan Strait, US Navy said last week that the Mustin “conducted a routine Taiwan Strait transit” duly following the international law. “The ship’s transit through the Taiwan Strait demonstrates the U.S. commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific,” it said in a statement. “The United States military will continue to fly, sail and operate anywhere international law allows.” It was the 12th sailing through the strait by the US Navy in this year.

China reacted to US action stating that such missions “deliberately raise the temperature of the Taiwan issue, as they fear calm in the Taiwan Strait, and send flirtatious glances to Taiwan independence forces, seriously jeopardising peace and stability in the strait