Two American warships entered the Taiwan Strait in transit, the US Navy announced on Sunday August 28, a first since unprecedented Chinese maneuvers near the island. In a statement, the US Navy said that this passage “demonstrated the United States’ commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific region”.
Tensions in the Taiwan Strait have reached their highest level in years, following the visit of US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi in early August to the self-governing island. China has carried out unprecedented land and sea military maneuvers in retaliation, and Taiwan has conducted its own drills to simulate defense against an invasion from China.
“Freedom of navigation and overflight”
Taiwan lives under the constant threat of an invasion from Beijing, which considers the autonomous island as part of its territory, to be reconquered one day by force if necessary. Beijing rails against any diplomatic action that might confer legitimacy on Taiwan and has reacted with growing aggressiveness to visits from Western officials and politicians.
The 7e U.S. fleet clarified that the two Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruisers, the USS Antietam and the USS Chancellorsvillehad made a transit “routine” “in waters where freedom of navigation and overflight apply in accordance with international standards”. She pointed out that the two ships had used “a corridor of the Taiwan Strait that lies beyond the territorial waters of any coastal state”adding that the U.S. military reserves the right to“operate wherever international law permits”.
The 7e fleet is based in Japan and is an essential part of the United States naval presence in the Pacific. On August 16, the vice-admiral of the 7e fleet, Karl Thomas, had described as“irresponsible” the firing of ballistic missiles over the island by Beijing during its maneuvers and claimed that these shots had grazed international shipping lanes.
China ready “to thwart any provocation”
The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) reacted on Sunday August 28, believing that the United States had “made a big hype” around the passage of ships in the strait. “The PLA’s Eastern Theater Command tracks and warns US ships throughout their transit, and is aware of all their movements”Chinese army eastern command spokesman Shi Yie said, warning that his troops “remain on high alert and stand ready (…) to thwart any provocation”.
Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said in a brief statement that two US cruisers crossed the Taiwan Strait from north to south, without naming them.