Third Time In A Week The US Navy Destroyer Enters Chinese-Claimed Waters

Taiwan Strait – US Navy Destroyer Enters Chinese Waters

A US Navy sailed through the Taiwan Strait, the third time in a week the vessel has entered claimed by China.

Washington said the recent voyage by the guided-missile sailed USS Benfold demonstrated its commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific. Still, Beijing blasted it as a provocation that showed the United States was a destroyer of peace and stability.

The strait is a 110-mile-wide stretch of water that separates the democratic self-ruled island of Taiwan from mainland China.

China’s Ruling Communist Party – Strait Part Internal Waters

Beijing claims sovereignty over Taiwan despite China's Communist Party never having controlled the island and considers the strait part of its "internal waters." The US Navy says most of the strait is in international waters.

The Navy, international law that defines territorial waters as extending 12 nautical miles from a country's coastline and regularly sends its warships through the strait in what it calls freedom of navigation operations, including on May 10 when the guided missile cruiser USS Port Royal made a similar voyage.

Wednesday noticed the Benfold transit through a corridor in the strait beyond any coastal state's territorial sea, mentioned US Seventh Fleet spokesperson Lt. Nicholas Lingo.

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Ship At Strait And China’s Angry Reaction To Transit

China reacted to the ship's presence in the strait, and its army mentioned it had adopted and monitored the US vessel throughout transit.

The frequent provocations by the US fully demonstrate that the US is the destroyer of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and the creator of security risks in the Taiwan Strait, mentioned Col.

Last week, the Benfold carried out two freedoms of navigation operations in the South China Sea, close to contested islands, where Beijing has constructed army installations.

Related: A war between China and the United States is not far away, a chief propaganda official says

July – US Destroyer Challenged To Destroy

The US destroyer challenged what the US seventh Fleet mentioned are "excessive maritime claims" by Beijing across the Paracel Islands, referred to as the Xisha Islands in China, and on Saturday, close to the Spratly Islands, referred to as the Nansha Islands in China.

Beijing additionally reacted angrily to the Benfold's voyage close to the Paracels.

Harm Relations Between The Countries

On Monday, Beijing mentioned a $108 million US arms sale to Taipei gravely jeopardizes China's sovereignty and security interests and severely harms relations between the two countries and their militaries.

And on Tuesday, a Beijing spokesperson mentioned it “firmly opposed” a doable go to the island by Nancy Pelosi, the speaker of the US House of Representatives.

Some studies have steered Pelosi will go to Taiwan in August. Previously, she deliberated on taking a US congressional delegation to the island in April. However, they postponed the journey after she examined optimism for Covid-19.