US warships transit Taiwan Strait, first since Pelosi visit

Two US Navy warships sailed through international waters in the Taiwan Strait on Sunday (Aug 27), the first such operation since a visit to Taiwan by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi enraged China which regards the island as its territory.

The US Navy said cruisers Chancellorsville and Antietam were carrying out the ongoing operation. Such operations usually take eight to 12 hours to complete and are closely monitored by China’s military.

In recent years, US warships, and on occasion those from allied nations such as Britain and Canada, have routinely sailed through the strait, drawing the ire of China which claims Taiwan against the objections of its democratically elected government.

Pelosi’s Taiwan trip in early August infuriated China which saw it as a US attempt to interfere in its internal affairs. China subsequently launched military drills near the island which have since continued.

“These (US) ships transited through a corridor in the strait that is beyond the territorial sea of any coastal state,” the US Navy said.

The operation demonstrates the United States’ commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific, and the US military flies, sails and operates anywhere international law allows, the Navy said.

John Kirby, a spokesperson for the US National Security Council said the ships’ passage was “very consistent” with the US “one-China” policy and of seeking “a free and open Indo-Pacific”.

Agencies