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For the first time this year the United States has sailed two warships through the Taiwan Strait Thursday in yet another challenge to the ‘One China’ policy and in accord with the US Navy’s “freedom of navigation” operations. It seems the US Navy is establishing this almost as “routine” given the number of times this provocative act has been done over the past number of months (3 times last year); however, this time China’s air force was busy overhead flying H6 strategic bombers and reconnaissance planes in the vicinity since Thursday.
“The ships’ transit through the Taiwan Strait demonstrates the US commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific,” Lt. Cmdr. Tim Gorman told USNI News, referring to the guided missile destroyer USS McCampbell and the USNS Walter S. Diehl. “The US Navy will continue to fly, sail and operate anywhere international law allows.”
Taiwan described the ships’ passage through the approximately 110-mile-wide strait as necessary to “ensure the security of the seas and regional stability” according to Reuters. China’s response was to warn US officials to abide by the ‘One China’ principle while reiterating “concern” over growing tensions caused by such actions, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
