Pentagon sends two US warships through Taiwan Strait, risking fury from Beijing as tensions remain high
- Taiwan’s defence ministry and the Pentagon say the warships passed through international waters on Monday
- The Pentagon says the passage demonstrated a commitment to ‘a free and open Indo-Pacific’, but was ‘certainly not’ intended to raise tensions
Two US Navy vessels sailed through the Taiwan Strait on Monday, in a move that is likely to exacerbate the already high tensions between Washington and Beijing.
Both the island’s defence ministry and the Pentagon confirmed the passage, with the former saying in a statement that it was aware of the “routine” operation, and warning that the island is capable of defending its maritime territory and airspace security.
The operation, which Taiwan says took place in international waters, is expected to trigger a strong reaction from Beijing, which has repeatedly demanded that Washington cut all military ties with the self-ruled island. Beijing regards Taiwan as a breakaway province to be taken back, by force if necessary.
The US Department of Defence later confirmed the transit. Pentagon spokesman Colonel Rob Manning told reporters on Monday during a press briefing that “in the Taiwan Strait, earlier today, USS Curtis Wilbur and USS Antietam conducted a routine Taiwan Strait transit in accordance with international law”.
The US Navy will continue to fly, sail and operate anywhere international law permits
Monday’s passage is the second transit through the Taiwan Strait by US warships in less than four months after two destroyers, the USS Mustin and the USS Benfold, passed through the strait in July. The USS Curtis Wilbur is a guided-missile destroyer and the USS Antietam a guided-missile cruiser.