A destroyer from the US Navy’s 7th Fleet transited through the Taiwan Strait on January 5th. This was the first US Naval transit through the strait in 2023. The transit by the USS Chung-Hoon (DDG-93) was first reported by AFP news agency and was confirmed by an official statement from the 7th Fleet.
The statement said the ship transited through waters where high-seas freedoms of navigation and overflight apply in accordance with international law. The 7th Fleet added that the part of the strait through which the ship transited was not part of the territorial sea of any state.
The transit was part of their stated commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific, adding the US military flies, sails, and operates anywhere international law allows. The transit is in line with the US Freedom of Navigation Program (FON) which began in 1979.
Chinese state media said on Friday that the Chinese military had fully monitored, tracked and maintained high alert during the US ship’s passage.
The transit comes as tensions in the Taiwan Strait have been especially high, following former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan in August.