The U.S. Navy said Monday that its guided-missile destroyer USS Milius has passed through the Taiwan Strait in what it called a »routine transit,» amid tensions in the region and a week after the Chinese military completed military maneuvers near the island.
The U.S. Seventh Fleet, through a statement, said the transit took place in »waters where the freedoms of navigation and overflight on the high seas apply in accordance with international law.»
»The vessel has transited through a corridor of the Strait that is beyond the territorial sea of any coastal state,» continues the missive, which points out that this action »demonstrates the commitment of the United States to a free and open Indo-Pacific».
Thus, the US Navy wanted to underline that the »US Army flies, sails and operates wherever international law permits».
These actions take place a week after China announced that it had »successfully» completed its military exercises around Taiwan following the deployment of an aircraft carrier in its vicinity.
The maneuvers, which lasted three days, allowed the Chinese Army to carry out various exercises, test its capabilities, simulate attacks and practice a possible blockade of the island.
The escalation of tensions in the region began with the trip to the island of the now former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, in August last year, although they have rebounded after the meeting between the Taiwanese President, Tsai Ing Wen, and the current Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Kevin McCarthy. Taiwan has had an independent government since 1949, but China considers the territory under its sovereignty.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
