US and Canadian Warships Sail Across Taiwan Strait, China Reacts Strongly

Jakarta –

United States and Canadian warships sailed across Taiwan Strait on a joint mission across the sensitive waters separating Taiwan from China. The Minister of Defense (Menhan) of China, General Li Shangfu, reacted strongly to this.

Reported AP, Sunday (4/6/2023), General Li Shangfu said China has no problem with the ‘peaceful passage’, but “we must prevent attempts to use freedom of navigation (patrol), the path that is not dangerous, to run navigational hegemony.”

Meanwhile, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin told the same forum on Saturday that Washington would continue to sail and fly over the Taiwan Strait and South China Sea to emphasize that the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea is international waters, against Beijing’s territorial claims.

General Li said the US and its allies had created a danger and suggested the US should focus on “well-maintaining its own airspace and territorial waters”.

“The best way for countries, especially their naval ships and fighter jets is not to carry out closures around other countries’ territorial areas,” General Li said, through an interpreter.

“What is the purpose of going there?” In China, we always say, ‘Mind your own business.”

In his speech, General Li reiterated his claims to Taiwan, calling it “the essence of our core interests”.

General Li accused the US and other countries of “interference in China’s internal affairs” by providing Taiwan with support and defense training, and making high-level diplomatic visits.

“China remains committed to the path of peaceful development, but we will never hesitate to defend our legitimate rights and interests, let alone sacrifice the nation’s core interests,” he said.

Previously, US and Canadian warships sailed through the Taiwan Strait on Saturday (3/6), on a joint mission through the sensitive waters separating Taiwan from China.

The Chinese government claims Taiwan as its territory and has vowed to seize it one day, by force if necessary. In recent years, China has stepped up military and political pressure on the island.

Last week, China’s aircraft carrier Shandong led two other vessels through the 180-kilometre (112-mile) wide Taiwan Strait, in a show of force after Beijing conducted air and naval drills around Taiwan in April.

The US 7th Fleet announced on Saturday that its destroyer USS Chung-Hoon and the Royal Canadian Navy’s HMCS Montreal “made a routine transit of the Taiwan Strait on June 3.” (local time) through waters where freedom of navigation and overflight applies in accordance with international law.

“The Chung-Hoon and Montreal bilateral transits through the Taiwan Strait demonstrate the commitment of the United States and our allies and partners to a free and open Indo-Pacific,” the US Navy said.

US naval vessels frequently sail through the strait, but such missions are rare with other nations’ ships. The last joint voyage by US-Canadian military ships across the Taiwan Strait took place in September 2022.

In a tweet, Canada’s military confirmed the voyage, saying the US and Canada were “operating partners for peace and security in the region”.

Watch the video: Moments of Chinese fighter jets maneuvering aggressively near US reconnaissance aircraft

(yld/knv)