China’s military has accused the United States of engaging in risky behavior after two U.S. naval vessels transited the Taiwan Strait earlier this week.
The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) said it had closely monitored the movements of the USS Ralph Johnson, a naval destroyer, and the USNS Bowditch, a survey ship, as they traveled through the 180km-wide international waterway between Monday and Wednesday.
“The U.S. action sends the wrong signals and increases security risks,” the PLA’s Eastern Theatre Command said in a statement on Wednesday.
Colonel Li Xi, spokesperson for the Eastern Theatre Command, warned that China’s forces remain prepared for any threats. “Troops in the theatre are on high alert at all times and are resolute in defending national sovereignty and security as well as regional peace and stability,” he said.
U.S. Defends ‘Routine’ Operation
The U.S. Navy confirmed the movement of the two vessels, describing the operation as part of routine freedom of navigation exercises.
“The transit occurred through a corridor in the Taiwan Strait that is beyond any coastal state’s territorial seas,” said Navy Commander Matthew Comer, a spokesperson at the U.S. military’s Indo-Pacific Command.
“Within this corridor, all nations enjoy high-seas freedom of navigation, overflight, and other internationally lawful uses of the sea related to these freedoms,” Comer added.
Taiwan’s defense ministry also confirmed that it had monitored the patrol, but noted that it had proceeded without incident.
China’s Claims And U.S. Presence In The Taiwan Strait
China claims the Taiwan Strait as domestic territory, although international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), defines territorial waters as extending only 12 nautical miles (22km) from a country’s coastline.
The U.S. Navy frequently conducts freedom of navigation operations through the strait, reinforcing its stance that these waters remain international. This latest transit marks the first such patrol since President Donald Trump began his second term in office.
U.S. allies also occasionally participate in similar navigation exercises. The most recent confirmed missions included an air patrol in November and a joint patrol in October by U.S. and Canadian naval ships. Naval vessels from France, the Netherlands, and Japan’s Self-Defense Force also passed through the strait last year.
Beijing Reaffirms Taiwan As ‘Core Interest’
Beyond its territorial claims over the Taiwan Strait, Beijing also asserts sovereignty over Taiwan, a self-governing democracy of 23 million people.
Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson for China’s Taiwan Affairs Office, reinforced China’s position on Wednesday. “We are resolutely opposed to this and will never allow any outside interference, and have the firm will, full confidence, and capability to uphold the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” she said.
China has pledged to bring Taiwan under its control by 2047, either through peaceful means or by force. Beijing frequently engages in military maneuvers near the island, with almost daily air and naval incursions in what is known as “grey zone” warfare—tactics designed to intimidate Taiwan and test its defenses.
Since 2022, China has regularly staged military exercises in the Taiwan Strait as a show of force in response to high-level meetings between U.S. and Taiwanese officials.
