Tensions Rise as U.S. Destroyer Sails Through Taiwan Strait

China's military dispatched forces to monitor a U.S. guided missile destroyer sailing through the Taiwan Strait. The Eastern Theatre Command accused the U.S. of distorting facts and urged cooperation for peace. The U.S. emphasized freedom of navigation, asserting the transit was in line with international law.

China's military has claimed it monitored and warned a U.S. guided missile destroyer as it sailed through the contested Taiwan Strait. This marks the second mission of its kind since Donald Trump's presidency.

The U.S. Navy regularly navigates this strategic waterway, often accompanied by allied vessels, as part of its commitment to uphold freedom of navigation under international law. In contrast, China maintains that the Taiwan Strait falls under its jurisdiction, having conducted war games around Taiwan recently.

The Eastern Theatre Command identified the U.S. ship as the USS William P. Lawrence, condemning the transit as "public hyping" while criticizing the U.S. for misleading international opinion. Despite the military tension, the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command defended its right to passage, reinforcing navigational freedoms for all nations.

(With inputs from agencies.)