Two US military vessels transited the Taiwan Strait from Sunday through early today, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) said in a statement.
Records show that the transit marked the first time the US Navy has made the passage since US President Donald Trump took office last month.
The two vessels sailed south through the Strait, the MND said, adding that it closely monitored nearby airspace and waters at the time and observed nothing unusual.
Photo: EPA-EFE
The MND did not name the two vessels, but the US Navy identified them as the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Ralph Johnson and the Pathfinder-class survey ship USNS Bowditch.
The ships carried out a north-to-south transit from Monday to today, a US military spokesperson said.
"The transit occurred through a corridor in the Taiwan Strait that is beyond any coastal state's territorial seas," said US Navy Commander Matthew Comer, a spokesperson at the US military's Indo-Pacific Command.
The US 7th fleet did not publicize the passage via news release, as was standard during the administration of the previous US president Joe Biden.
The confirmations made by the US and Taiwanese militaries came after China made a statement regarding the US transit earlier yesterday.
The state-run Global Times quoted Li Xi (李熹), spokesperson for the Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, as saying that PLA forces have "deployed naval and air forces to monitor the entire passage of the US vessels, effectively responding to and managing the situation."
"The actions of the US sent the wrong signals and increased security risks. The Eastern Theater Command remains on high alert, resolutely safeguarding national sovereignty and security, as well as regional peace and stability," Li said.
The US Navy, sometimes joined by allies, makes regular transits through the Taiwan Strait in what it calls freedom of navigation.
The last time a US warship transited the Strait was on Oct. 20 last year, when the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Higgins, along with Royal Canadian Navy Halifax-class frigate HMCS Vancouver, sailed through the body of water.
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today issued a sea warning for Typhoon Fung-wong effective from 5:30pm, while local governments canceled school and work for tomorrow. A land warning is expected to be issued tomorrow morning before it is expected to make landfall on Wednesday, the agency said. Taoyuan, and well as Yilan, Hualien and Penghu counties canceled work and school for tomorrow, as well as mountainous district of Taipei and New Taipei City. For updated information on closures, please visit the Directorate-General of Personnel Administration Web site. As of 5pm today, Fung-wong was about 490km south-southwest of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan's southernmost point.
Tropical Storm Fung-Wong would likely strengthen into a typhoon later today as it continues moving westward across the Pacific before heading in Taiwan’s direction next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. As of 8am, Fung-Wong was about 2,190km east-southeast of Cape Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, moving westward at 25kph and possibly accelerating to 31kph, CWA data showed. The tropical storm is currently over waters east of the Philippines and still far from Taiwan, CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said, adding that it could likely strengthen into a typhoon later in the day. It is forecast to reach the South China Sea
Almost a quarter of volunteer soldiers who signed up from 2021 to last year have sought early discharge, the Legislative Yuan’s Budget Center said in a report. The report said that 12,884 of 52,674 people who volunteered in the period had sought an early exit from the military, returning NT$895.96 million (US$28.86 million) to the government. In 2021, there was a 105.34 percent rise in the volunteer recruitment rate, but the number has steadily declined since then, missing recruitment targets, the Chinese-language United Daily News said, citing the report. In 2021, only 521 volunteers dropped out of the military, the report said, citing
Nearly 5 million people have signed up to receive the government’s NT$10,000 (US$322) universal cash handout since registration opened on Wednesday last week, with deposits expected to begin tomorrow, the Ministry of Finance said yesterday. After a staggered sign-up last week — based on the final digit of the applicant’s national ID or Alien Resident Certificate number — online registration is open to all eligible Taiwanese nationals, foreign permanent residents and spouses of Taiwanese nationals. Banks are expected to start issuing deposits from 6pm today, the ministry said. Those who completed registration by yesterday are expected to receive their NT$10,000 tomorrow, National Treasury
RSS