Underlining tensions even after a gathering of the 2 international locations’ prime diplomats, China on Thursday mentioned its coast guard had “fully tracked” the passage of a US Coast Guard vessel via the Taiwan Strait.
The Chinese Coast Guard mentioned in an announcement that it “tracked” and “fully monitored” the USCGC Stratton (WMSL 752) when it transited via the Taiwan Strait on Wednesday.
Gan Yu, Chinese Coast Guard spokesperson, mentioned in an announcement that it “will resolutely protect China’s national sovereignty, security and maritime rights and interests.”
The US navy’s seventh Fleet deployed within the Asia-Pacific area mentioned in an announcement that that the legend-class nationwide safety cutter WMSL 752 carried out a “routine Taiwan Strait transit” on Wednesday via waters “where high-seas freedoms of navigation and overflight apply in accordance with international law.”
“The ship transited through a corridor in the (Taiwan) Strait that is beyond the territorial sea of any coastal state,” the fleet mentioned in an announcement.
Pointing what it known as “a free and open Indo-Pacific,” the assertion added: “The United States military flies, sails and operates anywhere international law allows.”
It is first passage via the Taiwan Strait by a US vessel since Beijing and Washington held high-level talks early this week when US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met Chinese President Xi Jinping within the Chinese capital.
The passage of any overseas navy vessel usually triggers equal response from Beijing within the waterway, which China claims in full.
Separately, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army flew round 29 of its plane and sailed round 10 naval vessels round Taiwan on Thursday, mentioned the Defense Ministry of the island nation.
It added that 4 of the Chinese plane crossed into its air protection identification zone, which Beijing doesn’t acknowledge, because it claims Taiwan as its personal territory.
Source: www.anews.com.tr
