The US defended its decision to transit its warships through the Taiwan Strait and said that the exercise was ‘very consistent’ with USA’s “one China policy” and seeking a free and open Indo-Pacific.
“This was planned long ago,” John Kirby, National Security Council spokesperson, said on CNN, of the first transit of the strait by US warships since House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan earlier this month. The transit of US warships did not go down well with China
The passage by the two vessels is “very consistent with our one-China policy, very consistent with our desire to make sure that we can continue to work toward a free and open Indo-Pacific,” said Kirby
China considers Taiwan as its own territory and has not ruled out use of force to capture the island state. Transit of foreign vessels, especially warships through Taiwan Strait is perceived by China as an open challenge to its influence in these waters.
Also Read | China keeps wary watch as US warships sail through Taiwan Strait
As two US warships transited on Sunday, Chinese navy kept a close watch.
“The USS Antietam and the USS Chancellorsville, two US guided-missile cruisers, sailed through the Taiwan Strait on August 28 and hyped it up publicly,” the Eastern Theatre Command (ETC) of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) said on Sunday.
The ETC conducted security tracking and monitoring of the US warships’ passage in the whole course and had all movements of the two US warships under control, Senior Colonel Shi Yi, spokesperson for the ETC, said in a statement.
(With inputs from agencies)
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