A US Navy destroyer has passed through the Taiwan Strait. The USS Benfold’s journey on Wednesday marks the seventh time this year that an American warship has traversed the waterway.
The United States Seventh Fleet, stationed in Japan, says that the passage through the strait was intended to send a message. It says the ship’s transit “demonstrates the U.S. commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.” The statement goes on to say that the US military “flies, sails, and operates anywhere international law allows.”
Taiwan’s military says that it was fully in control of the sea and air around the destroyer during its passage. It says conditions at the time were normal.
A senior official in the Chinese military is calling the move “provocative”. Army Senior Colonel Shi Yi says the US military is the biggest threat to regional stability. He says that the military closely tracked the ship’s transit, and the People’s Liberation Army of China is ready to respond to all threats and provocations.