China’s PLA watches as US warship sails through Taiwan Strait in ‘provocative’ move
- Destroyer’s transit shows United States’ commitment to upholding freedom of navigation, Seventh Fleet commander says
- People’s Liberation Army spokesman accuses US military of ‘maliciously’ undermining peace and stability in the region
In a statement, Senior Colonel Shi Yi, a spokesman for the PLA’s Eastern Theatre Command, said that on Wednesday, the USS John Finn, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, had sailed through the Taiwan Strait and “publicly hyped” it.
He said the PLA monitored the US Navy vessel “throughout the entire process, and dealt with it in accordance with laws and regulations”.
“Recently, the US military has frequently carried out provocative actions and maliciously undermined regional peace and stability,” Shi said. “Troops in the theatre remain on high alert at all times and resolutely safeguard national sovereignty and security as well as regional peace and stability.”
The US Seventh Fleet said the destroyer had conducted the transit in waters where “high-seas freedoms of navigation and overflight apply in accordance with international law”.
“The ship transited through a corridor in the strait that is beyond the territorial sea of any coastal state. John Finn’s transit through the Taiwan Strait demonstrates the United States’ commitment to upholding freedom of navigation for all nations as a principle,” Vice-Admiral Karl Thomas, commander of the Seventh Fleet, said in the statement.
“No member of the international community should be intimidated or coerced into giving up their rights and freedoms. The United States military flies, sails and operates anywhere international law allows.”