US Navy transits Taiwan Strait after China military drills

A US warship sailed through the sensitive Taiwan Strait on Tuesday, shortly after China carried out drills near the island and the second time in two weeks the US military has transited the waterway.

The US Navy’s 7th Fleet said the guided-missile cruiser USS Port Royal conducted a “routine” Taiwan Strait transit through international waters “in accordance with international law”.

“The ship transited through a corridor in the Strait that is beyond the territorial sea of any coastal State,” it said in a statement.

“Port Royal’s transit through the Taiwan Strait demonstrates the US’ commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific. The US military flies, sails, and operates anywhere international law allows.”

Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said the US ship sailed north through the strait, and that the situation in the waterway was “as normal”.

China’s armed forces carried out another round of exercises near Taiwan last week to improve joint combat operations, the People’s Liberation Army said on Monday, after the Chinese-claimed island reported a spike in activity.

The guided-missile destroyer USS Sampson sailed through the Taiwan Strait on April 27, which China condemned, saying such missions “deliberately” harm peace and stability.

The United States has been carrying out such voyages about once a month, angering China, which views them as a sign of support for Taiwan, the democratically governed island that Beijing views as Chinese territory.

The US, like most countries, has no formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan but is its most important international supporter and arms supplier, making it a constant source of tension between Beijing and Washington.