The operation, planned for a “long time”, shows Washington’s commitment to a “free and open Indo-Pacific”
Tension rises across the Taiwan Strait. After United States Congress spokeswoman Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taipei at the beginning of the month, China marked its chest and its military violated the island’s sovereignty to practice step by step how to invade it. . Last Monday, another North American delegation led by Republican Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb traveled to Taipei. Now Washington’s presence has increased.
Two US Navy warships sail through the Taiwan Strait on Sunday. “The Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruisers USS Antietam (CG 54) and USS Chancellorsville (CG 62) are conducting routine transit through waters where the freedoms of navigation and overflight on the high seas apply in accordance with international law” , in a statement underlines the US Seventh Fleet, the largest in the country. The transit of both ships takes place through a corridor “which is outside the territorial sea of any coastal state”.
Washington, which more than once claimed to be willing to support Taiwan militarily in the event of a Chinese invasion, explains in the letter that these actions “demonstrate the United States’ commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.” A White House spokesman, John Kirby, told CNN that this “long-planned” operation “sends a very clear message: The US Navy will sail, fly and operate where it allows under international law.”
It should be noted that the American giant regularly sends ships to this region. In that sense, it moved two ships each in October 2018, in April 2019 and in December 2020, according to the Japan Times newspaper.
The action has not gone unnoticed in the Asian region. The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) “follows and warns American ships as they travel and is aware of all their movements,” said spokesman Shi Yi. “The troops of the (Eastern) Section remain alert and ready at all times to thwart any provocation.”
The Taiwan Ministry of Defense has confirmed that a pair of warships have passed through the channel from north to south. “During its tour, our armed forces are monitoring all relevant movements in our maritime and airspace and the situation is normal.”
The climate of tension in the Asian region is thus increasing, a few weeks after Pelosi’s landing on the island, for which Beijing announced four days of military exercises in six areas around Taiwanese territory. These maneuvers included the launch of ballistic missiles, as well as numerous warships and fighter jets that breached the border between Taiwan and mainland China.
Source: La Verdad
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