China says Taiwan Strait crossing by US warship shows America as ‘biggest destroyer of peace’
- The PLA’s Eastern Theatre Command says its troops are ‘ready to respond to all threats and provocations’
- As China asserts sovereignty, the US – which has sailed ships through the strait seven times this year – insists it has the right of freedom of navigation
The frequent passage of American vessels through the strait showed that “the US is the biggest destroyer of peace and stability … and the biggest maker of security risks across the Taiwan Strait”, according to a statement from the People’s Liberation Army Eastern Theatre Command.
It said Eastern Theatre troops were ready to respond to all threats and provocations and would defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The statement came after the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Benfold sailed through the Taiwan Strait on Wednesday. The US Seventh Fleet said the warship’s transit through the Taiwan Strait showed America’s commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific and that the US military “flies, sails and operates anywhere international law allows”.