US and Canadian Warships Transit Taiwan Strait Amid Tensions with China

In a significant display of naval presence, U.S. and Canadian warships sailed through the Taiwan Strait on Sunday, just a week after China conducted extensive military exercises around the island. The transit involved the U.S. Navy destroyer USS Higgins and the Canadian frigate HMCS Vancouver, according to a statement from the U.S. Navy’s 7th Fleet.

The U.S. Navy described the transit as “routine” and emphasized that it was conducted “through waters where high-seas freedom of navigation and overflight apply in accordance with international law.” This move is part of the U.S. and its allies’ commitment to upholding freedom of navigation for all countries, despite China’s claims of sovereignty over the Taiwan Strait.

China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory, condemned the maneuver. The People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command stated that the actions of the U.S. and Canada caused trouble and were disruptive to peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. Chinese forces monitored and warned the ships during their transit.

The recent naval transit follows China’s large-scale military exercises around Taiwan, which included a record 125 aircraft and the Liaoning aircraft carrier. These exercises were seen as a response to a National Day speech by Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te, in which he emphasized his commitment to resisting annexation or encroachment by Beijing.

Taiwan’s government has consistently rejected Beijing’s sovereignty claims, asserting that only the island’s people can decide their future. The U.S., as Taiwan’s biggest unofficial ally, is bound by its own laws to provide the island with the means to defend itself).