US sends two warships through Taiwan Strait amid heightened tensions with Beijing
The Taiwanese government confirmed that the warships sailed through the waters separating Taiwan and the Chinese mainland on Saturday
Two United States warships entered the Taiwan Strait on Saturday, the Taiwanese government said, at a time of heightened tensions between Washington and Beijing.
The destroyers, USS Mustin and USS Benfold, sailed into the narrow waterway separating Taiwan and mainland China on Saturday morning and were expected to continue on a northeast course, Taiwan’s defence ministry said in a statement.
“The military is monitoring the situation in neighbouring areas, and has the confidence and abilities to maintain regional stability and defend national security,” the statement added.
A defence ministry said the ships were still in the strait on Saturday night, sailing in what he described as international waters.
The warships’ entry into the strait comes as Washington and Beijing are locked in a trade war and as tensions escalate between Beijing and Taipei.
US President Donald Trump on Friday rolled out 25 per cent tariffs on US$34 billion of Chinese goods in what Beijing called the “largest trade war” in economic history.