US warship sails through Taiwan Strait

By Nicolas Yong

Photo: US Navy Archive

BBCNews. January 6, 2023

A US warship sailed through the Taiwan Strait between Taiwan and mainland China on Thursday, drawing criticism from Beijing.

 

The US military said the transit of the USS Chung-Hoon showed the US commitment to a "free and open Indo-Pacific."

 

But a spokesman for the Chinese embassy in Washington said the trip was about "flexing muscles" and accused the United States of "undermining peace and stability."

 

Tensions in the Taiwan Strait soared last year.

 

China held its largest-ever military exercises around the island following a visit there by former US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in August.

 

China claims Taiwan as part of its territory and has promised to unify it, by force if necessary. Self-governing Taiwan sees itself as distinct from the mainland.

 

 

The Chinese military said it had monitored the transit of the USS Chung-Hoon. Its embassy spokesman added that the country would "safeguard its national sovereignty and territorial integrity."

 

The ship is named after Rear Admiral Gordon Pai'ea Chung-Hoon, who served in the US Navy during World War II.

 

 

Tensions between Washington and Beijing have risen in recent years and Taiwan is a flashpoint in the relationship, with the United States walking a diplomatic tightrope on the issue.

 

The United States adheres to the "One China" policy, a cornerstone of the two countries' diplomatic relationship that recognizes only one Chinese government, and has formal ties with Beijing and not Taiwan.

 

But it also maintains a "robust unofficial" relationship with the island. That includes selling weapons for Taiwan to defend itself.

 

Last month, the US accused a Chinese air force plane of performing an unsafe maneuver after it flew within 20 feet of a US air force plane over the South China Sea.

 

China later accused the US plane of carrying out an unsafe action.