A US Navy ship on Friday sailed through the Taiwan Strait, marking the ninth time a US military vessel has transited the Strait since US President Joe Biden took office in January.
The USS Barry, an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, conducted a “routine” transit through the Strait, the US Navy said in a statement, adding that the journey through international waters was conducted “in accordance with international law.”
“The ship’s transit through the Taiwan Strait demonstrates the US’ commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific,” the US Navy said. “The United States military flies, sails and operates anywhere international law allows.”
Photo: AFP
The Ministry of National Defense yesterday confirmed the transit, saying the US destroyer sailed from north to south through the Strait.
The ministry said it has a grasp of the situation and uses joint intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance tools to monitor the waters and airspace around Taiwan.
The situation was “normal” while the ship traveled through the Strait, it added.
The destroyer was in the Strait on the same day that 10 Chinese military aircraft flew into Taiwan’s air defense identification zone.
It was the 15th consecutive day that Chinese military aircraft had entered the area.
The military maneuvers are seen by some as a way for Beijing to indicate its displeasure with Taipei and warn against actions it sees as jeopardizing its hopes of annexing Taiwan.
Taipei considers such moves military threats.
On Aug. 27, the USS Kidd, an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, accompanied by the USCGC Munro, conducted what the US Navy called “routine transits” through the Strait.
The USS John S. McCain sailed through the Strait on Feb. 4 and April 7; the USS Curtis Wilbur on Feb. 24, May 18 and June 22; the USS John Finn on March 10; and the USS Benfold on July 28.
The most recent passage came as Taiwan concluded its annual Han Kuang military exercises and China conducted military exercises in waters near Taiwan’s southwest coast.
The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) had on Friday conducted a military drill in waters off southwestern Taiwan and in the skies over the area, the PLA’s official newspaper reported yesterday, citing Shi Yi (施毅), a spokesperson for the PLA Eastern Theater Command.
Shi did not provide specific information regarding the location of the exercise, saying only that the PLA had deployed naval vessels, early warning aircraft and bombers.
The Ministry of National Defense said that Taiwan had a “thorough grasp and assessment” of China’s military exercises.
MILITARY BOOST: The procurement was planned after Washington recommended that Taiwan increase its stock of air defense missiles, a defense official said yesterday Taiwan is planning to order an additional four PAC-3 MSE systems and up to 500 missiles in response to an increasing number of missile sites on China’s east coast, a defense official said yesterday. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that the proposed order would be placed using the defense procurement special budget, adding that about NT$1 trillion (US$32,88 billion) has been allocated for the budget. The proposed acquisition would include launchers, missiles, and a lower tier air and missile defense radar system, they said The procurement was planned after the US military recommended that Taiwan increase
POLITICAL AGENDA: Beijing’s cross-strait Mid-Autumn Festival events are part of a ‘cultural united front’ aimed at promoting unification with Taiwan, academics said Local authorities in China have been inviting Taiwanese to participate in cross-strait Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations centered around ideals of “family and nation,” a move Taiwanese academics said politicizes the holiday to promote the idea of “one family” across the Taiwan Strait. Sources said that China’s Fujian Provincial Government is organizing about 20 cross-strait-themed events in cities including Quanzhou, Nanping, Sanming and Zhangzhou. In Zhangzhou, a festival scheduled for Wednesday is to showcase Minnan-language songs and budaixi (布袋戲) glove puppetry to highlight cultural similarities between Taiwan and the region. Elsewhere, Jiangsu Province is hosting more than 10 similar celebrations in Taizhou, Changzhou, Suzhou,
COGNITIVE WARFARE: Chinese fishing boats transmitting fake identification signals are meant to test Taiwan’s responses to different kinds of perceived incursions, a report said Chinese vessels are transmitting fake signals in Taiwan’s waters as a form of cognitive warfare, testing Taipei’s responses to various types of incursions, a report by the Institute for the Study of War said on Friday. Several Chinese fishing vessels transmitted fake automatic identification system (AIS) signals in Taiwan’s waters last month, with one mimicking a Russian warship and another impersonating a Chinese law enforcement vessel, the report said. Citing data from Starboard Maritime Intelligence, the report said that throughout August and last month, the Chinese fishing boat Minshiyu 06718 (閩獅漁06718) sailed through the Taiwan Strait while intermittently transmitting its own AIS
CHINESE INFILTRATION: Medical logistics is a lifeline during wartime and the reported CCP links of a major logistics company present a national security threat, an expert said The government would bolster its security check system to prevent China from infiltrating the nation’s medical cold chain, a national security official said yesterday. The official, who wished to stay anonymous, made the remarks after the Chinese-language magazine Mirror Media (鏡周刊) reported that Pharma Logistics (嘉里醫藥物流) is in charge of the medical logistics of about half of the nation’s major hospitals, including National Taiwan University Hospital and Taipei Veterans General Hospital. The company’s parent, Kerry TJ Logistics Co (嘉里大榮物流), is associated with the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA), the
RSS