A US warship yesterday sailed through the Taiwan Strait, marking the 10th time a US Navy vessel has transited through the waterway since US President Joe Biden took office in January.
The US Navy’s 7th Fleet said in a statement that the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Milius conducted a “routine” Taiwan Strait transit through international waters “in accordance with international law.”
“The ship’s transit through the Taiwan Strait demonstrates the US commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific [region]. The United States military flies, sails and operates anywhere international law allows,” the statement added.
Photo: Reuters
In Taipei, the Ministry of National Defense confirmed the transit, saying that the warship had sailed from south to north along the Strait.
The ministry said that it had control of the situation and used joint intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance tools to monitor movements at sea and in the air around Taiwan during the warship’s passage.
On Sept. 17, the USS Barry, another US Navy Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, also made the passage.
Eight Chinese naval vessels and 24 military aircraft were detected crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait between 6am yesterday and 6am today, the Ministry of National Defense said this morning. The aircraft entered Taiwan’s northern, central, southwestern and eastern air defense identification zones, the ministry said. The armed forces responded with mission aircraft, naval vessels and shore-based missile systems to closely monitor the situation, it added. Eight naval vessels, one official ship and 36 aircraft sorties were spotted in total, the ministry said.
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