US Warships Pass Through Taiwan Strait for First Time Since Trump's Inauguration

beijing/taipei - Two American warships navigate the Taiwan Strait in a significant move, sparking tensions with China.

US Navy Mission in Taiwan Strait

This week, two US warships passed through the Taiwan Strait, marking the first such mission since President Donald Trump took office. The ships, a destroyer and a reconnaissance vessel, navigated through a corridor in the strait outside the territorial waters of any coastal state, according to US Navy Commander Matthew Comer.

The US asserts that the passage adhered to international maritime law, allowing freedom of navigation for all nations within the corridor. However, China, which claims sovereignty over the Taiwan Strait, reacted angrily to the mission, citing increased security risks.

Taiwan's President, Lai Ching-te, rejects Beijing's sovereignty claims, emphasizing that only the Taiwanese people can determine their future. The US Navy conducts such passages approximately once a month, occasionally accompanied by allied ships. The last US warship passage through the strait occurred in October, in a joint mission with the Canadian Navy.