Beijing: The Chinese military has condemned the United States for what it describes as "risky behavior" after two American naval vessels sailed through the Taiwan Strait earlier this week.
The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) reported that it closely tracked the USS Ralph Johnson, a destroyer, and the USNS Bowditch, a survey ship, as they navigated the 180km-wide waterway between Monday and Wednesday.
According to a statement from the PLA’s Eastern Theatre Command, the US military’s actions "intensify regional tensions and increase security risks." The command’s spokesperson, Colonel Li Xi, reaffirmed that Chinese forces remain on high alert to safeguard national sovereignty and regional stability.
The US Navy defended the passage, calling it a routine transit conducted in accordance with international law. "The transit occurred through a corridor in the Taiwan Strait that lies beyond any coastal state’s territorial waters," said Navy Commander Matthew Comer from the US Indo-Pacific Command. He emphasized that all nations have the right to freedom of navigation and overflight in such international waters.
Taiwan’s defense ministry also confirmed that it had monitored the US patrol, but noted that it proceeded without incident.
US warships frequently conduct freedom of navigation operations in the Taiwan Strait, asserting their right to sail through what they regard as international waters.
The latest transit marks the first such operation since President Donald Trump took office. In recent years, US allies, including Canada, France, the Netherlands, and Japan, have also participated in similar patrols.
China claims sovereignty over Taiwan, a self-ruled democracy of 23 million people, and insists that the Taiwan Strait falls under its jurisdiction—despite international law recognizing territorial waters as extending only 12 nautical miles (22km) from a country’s coastline.
Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson for China’s Taiwan Affairs Office, reiterated Beijing’s firm stance on the issue. "Taiwan is a core interest of China. We firmly oppose any foreign interference and are determined to uphold our country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity," she stated.
China has vowed to unify Taiwan with the mainland by 2047, whether peacefully or through force, and has ramped up military pressure on the island. Nearly every day, Chinese aircraft and naval vessels operate near Taiwan in what analysts describe as "grey zone" tactics—meant to wear down Taiwan’s defenses and assert China’s claims.
On Wednesday, Taiwan’s defense ministry reported detecting 62 Chinese military aircraft near the island in recent days, adding to the growing tensions in the region.
