The United States assured that the two warships that sailed this Sunday in the international waters of the Taiwan Strait carried out “routine” maneuvers and in compliance with the laws that guarantee freedom of navigation.
This is the first maneuver of this kind since the Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, visited the island at the beginning of this month of August.
In In a statement, the US Navy said its ships, identified as the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruisers USS Antietam and USS Chancellorsville, made a “routine” transit in the area “through free-of-charge waters.” navigation”, in accordance with international law.
According to the Navy, the ships sailed through the international waters of the Taiwan Strait and did not invade the waters of any nation.
The Taiwanese Ministry of Defense had already confirmed the transit of the ships and stated in a statement that no irregularity occurred.
This operation occurs three weeks after Pelosi made a fleeting visit to Taipei, despite previous warnings from Beijing, unleashing a crisis in the strait and causing military maneuvers around the island.
The war games with live fire and the launch of long-range missiles were described by the Taiwanese government as “irresponsible”, in addition to causing numerous signs of concern within the international community.
The United States stated during the same that it would continue to operate through the Taiwan Strait, describing the crisis as “manufactured” by Beijing.
China claims sovereignty over Taiwan, an island it considers a rebel province since the Kuomintang nationalists withdrew there in 1949, after losing the civil war against the communists.
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