U.S. Navy's Routine Taiwan Strait Transit Sparks Tension with Beijing

The U.S. Navy confirmed two ships, USS Ralph Johnson and USNS Bowditch, conducted a routine Taiwan Strait transit, causing dissatisfaction in Beijing. This transit occurred in international waters, allowing high-seas freedom of navigation and overflight, as stated by Navy Commander Matthew Comer from the Indo-Pacific Command.

On Tuesday, the U.S. Navy confirmed that two of its ships carried out a transit through the Taiwan Strait, a move termed routine despite sparking ire from Beijing. The vessels involved were the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Ralph Johnson and the Pathfinder-class survey ship USNS Bowditch.

The ships navigated the strait from February 10 to 12, following a north-to-south route. Navy Commander Matthew Comer, spokesperson for the U.S. military's Indo-Pacific Command, emphasized that the transit took place in a corridor beyond any coastal state's territorial seas.

Comer remarked on the significance of this passage, highlighting the international freedoms of navigation and overflight within these waters. He reiterated that all nations can partake in other internationally lawful sea activities related to these freedoms whenever in such corridors.

(With inputs from agencies.)