US warship transit of Taiwan Strait misleads independence forces, says Beijing
- US Navy 7th fleet said the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Port Royal conducted a routine Taiwan Strait transit on Tuesday
- Taiwan’s defence ministry says a single Chinese WZ-10 attack helicopter briefly crossed the strait’s unofficial median line
The US Navy 7th fleet said the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Port Royal conducted a routine Taiwan Strait transit on Tuesday through international waters “in accordance with international law”.
“The ship transited through a corridor in the strait that is beyond the territorial sea of any coastal state. Port Royal’s transit through the Taiwan Strait demonstrates the United States’ commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific,” it said in a statement.
“The United States military flies, sails and operates anywhere international law allows.”
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US destroyer passes through Taiwan Strait, China urges ‘no interference by external forces’
The People’s Liberation Army Eastern Theatre Command hit back, saying it was a move to provoke tensions across the Taiwan Strait.