The self-governing island was passed by two US cruisers in the first US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi maneuver.
Two US warships were deployed to Taiwan Strait by the US in the first ever such deployment since Nancy Pelosi’s controversial trip to Taipei.
According to a US 7th Fleet statement, the USS Chancellorsville (both Ticonderoga class guided-missile cruisers) is currently sailing in international waters.
According to the US 7th fleet, the warship transit is “Routine” and “It demonstrates the United States commitment to a free Indo-Pacific.”. The statement went on to stress that the mission is being conducted “Conforming to international law”.
The Chinese military has been put on high alert due to the ships’ passage and is ready “To stop all provocations promptly” , Shi Yi, spokesperson for the Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA), said.
The US Navy’s so-called freedom of navigation operations tend to draw anger from Beijing.
“It is clear that America is the one who destroys peace and stability in Taiwan Strait. They also show their full support for security risk in Taiwan Strait.”, Shi stated in July, referring to a similar mission by US forces.
This deployment is the result of a string US lawmaker visits, including the most recent on Thursday when US Senator MarshaBlackburn visited Taiwan. Earlier this month, a US congressional delegation consisting of four Democrats and one Republican travelled to Taipei “To discuss US-Taiwan relations and regional security as well as trade and investment in the region, global supply chains and climate change.”
These trips were all triggered by the highly inflamatory visit of Nancy Pelosi, US House Speaker in August. This sent Washington and Beijing into turmoil and provoked massive Chinese military exercises. Beijing perceived a visit by the second person in the line of presidential succession as a violation of the ‘One China’ principle by the highest levels of power in Washington.
Since 1949 when Chinese nationalists fled Taiwan to escape the Civil War with the Communists, the Taiwan Strait has been the source of tension between the island and mainland China.
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