US and Canadian Warships Pass Through Taiwan Strait... China Says "External Interference Cannot Be Tolerated"

US Military Ships Passing Through the Taiwan Strait

(Taiwan Strait, Reuters = Yonhap News) The US Navy's Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer 'Kid' and the Coast Guard's military ship 'Munro' passed through the Taiwan Strait on August 27. This is interpreted as a demonstration of the unwavering alliance in response to China's harsh criticism accusing the US of abandoning Taiwan just as it did during the chaotic US withdrawal from Afghanistan. On the 28th, the Chinese Ministry of National Defense condemned the passage of US military ships through the Taiwan Strait as a "provocative act."
jsmoon@yna.co.kr
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[Asia Economy Reporter Junhyung Lee] A U.S. Navy warship, along with a Canadian naval vessel, passed through the Taiwan Strait located between China and Taiwan.

According to the South China Sea Strategic Situation Probing Initiative (SCSPI), a Chinese think tank, on the 16th, a U.S. Arleigh Burke-class destroyer and a Canadian Halifax-class frigate were captured by satellite around 10 a.m. local time on the 15th moving northward through the southern Taiwan Strait. Previously, during the Donald Trump administration, U.S. naval vessels conducted "freedom of navigation" operations passing through the Taiwan Strait about once a month. This policy has continued under the Joe Biden administration.

The Canadian Navy deployed the Halifax-class frigate HMCS Winnipeg through the Taiwan Strait in October last year. SCSPI estimates that the Canadian warship involved this time was also the Winnipeg, suggesting that the two countries' naval vessels conducted joint maneuvers. SCSPI stated, "If this assumption is correct, it is the first time in recent years that the U.S. military has passed through the Taiwan Strait in conjunction with another country's naval vessel," and noted that pressure on China has intensified. According to SCSPI, the Winnipeg has recently been active near the East China Sea and South China Sea, visiting locations such as Yokosuka in Japan, Busan in South Korea, and Manila in the Philippines.

Meanwhile, on the night of the 15th, the Chinese Ministry of National Defense rebutted comments made by a U.S. Department of Defense spokesperson criticizing China's recent military exercises in the Taiwan Strait. Tan Kefei, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of National Defense, stated, "There is only one 'China' in the world, and Taiwan is part of China," adding, "The Taiwan issue is purely an internal matter of China, and any external interference is unacceptable."

Spokesperson Tan said, "The provocative actions by the U.S. seriously damage the relations between China and the U.S. and their military ties, and severely undermine peace and security in the Taiwan Strait," urging, "The Taiwan issue must be handled prudently, and support for Taiwan independence forces must cease." He also emphasized, "The Chinese military is always prepared for war and maintains a high level of vigilance ready to fight at any time," and stressed, "We will firmly thwart all external interference and attempts at Taiwan independence, and safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity."