China’s military has accused the United States of engaging in provocative actions in the Taiwan Strait after two US naval vessels transited the international waterway earlier this week.
The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) reported that it closely monitored the movements of the USS Ralph Johnson, a naval destroyer, and the USNS Bowditch, a survey ship, as they passed through the strait between Monday and Wednesday.
“The US actions send the wrong signals and heighten security risks,” the PLA’s Eastern Theatre Command said in a statement on Wednesday.
Colonel Li Xi, spokesperson for the Eastern Theatre Command, added, “Troops in the theatre remain on high alert at all times and are resolute in safeguarding national sovereignty, security, and regional peace and stability.”
In response, the US Navy confirmed the passage of the two vessels, describing the transit as part of routine operations.
“The transit occurred through a corridor in the Taiwan Strait that lies beyond any coastal state’s territorial seas,” said Navy Commander Matthew Comer, a spokesperson for the US Indo-Pacific Command.
The exchange reflects ongoing tensions between the US and China over the Taiwan Strait, a strategically significant and heavily monitored international waterway.
