The US navy sent a naval destroyer through the Taiwan Strait on Tuesday. That’s the sixth time it has done so in five months…. And according to military analysts, it’s also a sign of the United States’ commitment to Taiwan.
On June 21, US State Department Spokesperson Ned Price said “the US will stand by Taiwan.” Then, the very next day, the US3 Navy 7th Fleet’s USS Curtis Wilbur transited through the Taiwan Strait. If you’re keeping score, that’s the sixth time a US Navy vessel has passed through the waters between Taiwan and China since US President Joe Biden took office.
On February 4, the US sent the USS John McCain through the Strait. The USS Curtis Wilbur passed through for the first time during Biden’s presidency on February 24. Then on March 10, the USS John Finn transited through the Strait, while the John McCain plowed through again on April 7. The USS Curtis Wilbur sailed between China and Taiwan again on May 18 and June 22 making for the fifth and sixth US naval transits through the Strait under the Biden administration.
Defense expert Cheng Chi-wen says these voyages are more than just standard naval exercises. They’re a message to China
He says the US is clearly increasing its military presence around Taiwan. Cheng says US naval transits through the Taiwan Strait occur regularly, about once a month. Furthermore, when three US senators visited Taiwan earlier this month, they arrived on a military jet. Cheng said these are concrete actions taken to show the US’s support for Taiwan.
Cheng adds it’s no coincidence that these activities are taking place in the run-up to the Chinese Communist Party’s centennial on July 1.