(Express) – Fears of open conflict between the United States and China surged after an American warship was sent through the Taiwan Strait on Thursday. Beijing insists it has sovereignty over the disputed waters, which are situated between the island of Taiwan and mainland China.
The USS John S. McCain, an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, made the journey. The US periodically sends warships through the region on “freedom of navigation” patrols to show it disputes China’s claim. This is the first time one has passed through the area since Joe Biden’s inauguration last month. Beijing regards Taiwan, a close US ally, as part of its territory and has threatened military action to establish control.
In a statement, the US Seventy Fleet, which USS John S. McCain was attached to, said the move “demonstrates the US commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific”. It added: “The United States military will continue to fly, sail and operate anywhere international law allows.”
However, the move was condemned by China which claimed to be “closely monitoring” the US warship Wang Wenbin, a spokesman for the Chinese foreign ministry, said the country would “continue to be on high alert at all times, respond to all threats and provocations at any moment, and will resolutely safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity” Taiwan, formally the Republic of China, was formed by the losing side in the Chinese civil war which raged sporadically from 1927 to 1949. READ MORE
