The US Navy confirmed today, February 12, that two of its ships had made a trip through the Taiwan Strait.
The US Navy said the two ships that passed through the Taiwan Strait were the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Ralph Johnson and the Pathfinder-class survey ship USNS Bowditch. The two ships made a north-south voyage from February 10-12, according to Reuters citing a statement from the US Navy.
US destroyer USS Ralph Johnson in the South China Sea in August 2024
"The transit took place through a corridor in the Taiwan Strait that is beyond the territorial sea of any coastal state. Within this corridor, all nations enjoy freedoms of navigation, overflight, and other internationally lawful uses of the sea," said Navy Lt. Matthew Comer, a spokesman for the US Indo- Pacific Command.
This is the first time the US Navy has sent a ship through the Taiwan Strait since Donald Trump took office for his second term as US President on January 20, according to Reuters.
The US Navy made the statement after China Central Television (CCTV) reported today that the Chinese military announced that it had organized naval and air forces to monitor the maritime activities of a US destroyer and oceanographic survey ship passing through the Taiwan Strait from February 10-12.
Li Xi, a spokesman for the Chinese military's Eastern Theater Command, said the actions of the two US ships sent false signals and increased security risks. "The troops in the theater are always on high alert and resolutely safeguard national sovereignty and security as well as regional peace and stability," CCTV quoted Li as saying.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/my-dieu-tau-chien-qua-eo-bien-dai-loan-quan-doi-trung-quoc-phan-ung-185250212090506048.htm
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