BEIJING, China: On August 22, China’s military closely monitored and issued warnings to the US destroyer USS Ralph Johnson as it sailed through the Taiwan Strait, a passage that frequently raises tensions between Beijing and Washington.
China, which claims sovereignty over Taiwan and the Taiwan Strait, criticized the transit as “public hype,” asserting that it had sent naval and air forces to monitor the situation and ensure compliance with its laws.
In contrast, the US Navy’s 7th Fleet described the transit as a routine operation conducted in accordance with international law, reaffirming the position that the Taiwan Strait is an international waterway. Taiwan’s defense ministry reported that the destroyer sailed in a northerly direction and that their forces observed nothing unusual during the passage.
China has consistently asserted its jurisdiction over Taiwan and the strait, while Taiwan, backed by the US, rejects these claims, emphasizing that only the island’s people can determine their future.
