US warship sails through Taiwan Strait on Tiananmen Square anniversary

Seventh such transit this year by US navy as it continues its active presence in the region

Mission comes a day after China’s state television shows Chinese tanks storming beaches in an apparent warning to Taiwan

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The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Russell transits the Taiwan Strait on Thursday. Photo: Facebook

Published: 12:56pm, 5 Jun 2020Updated: 10:58pm, 5 Jun 2020

A US navy vessel sailed through the Taiwan Strait on Thursday, the anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown, the US and Taiwanese militaries have said.

The Taiwan defence ministry said on Friday that the warship had transited the strait the previous day in an “ordinary mission”, and that it had closely monitored the ship.

The US Pacific Fleet also confirmed the transit by USS Russell, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, via its Facebook page, as the United States continued its increased operations through the strait, which have triggered anger in Beijing and added to tensions with Washington.

It comes at a time when mainland China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is stepping up drills aimed at the self-ruled Taiwan.

The PLA’s amphibious tanks are shown storming beaches on Chinese state television on Wednesday. Photo: CCTV

This was the US’ seventh such operation this year, and the first since May 20, when Tsai Ing-wen from the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party was inaugurated for her second term as the island’s president.

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