The United States sent a military aircraft to the Taiwan Strait, near China, on Tuesday after defense officials from both sides discussed issues related to the disputed waterway.
The US Navy said a P-8A “Poseidon” maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft was passing over the Taiwan Strait in international airspace. It is capable of long-range anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.
The 110 kilometer wide waterway separates China to the west and Taiwan to the east. It also connects disputed waters where China has territorial disputes with neighboring Japan and the Philippines — the East China Sea to the north and the South China Sea to the south.
Beijing has long viewed self-ruled Taiwan as its breakaway province and has refused to give up using force to resolve the cross-strait issue. He also claimed that the Taiwan Strait is under his jurisdiction as the Chinese military was operating daily around the island.
The Chinese military’s Eastern Theater Command, which claims to have jurisdiction over the Taiwan Strait, said it deployed warplanes “to track, monitor and deal” with the US spy plane. The command emphasized that its troops “will remain on high alert.”
“By operating in the Taiwan Strait in accordance with international law, the United States supports the rights and freedoms of navigation of all nations,” the US Navy said. He stated that the US military “flys, sails and operates wherever international law allows”.
The US military regularly transits the Taiwan Strait, the latest occasion involving the destroyer USS Ralph Johnson August 22. The US Navy said at the time that it transited through a corridor in the strait that was “beyond the territorial sea” of China and Taiwan.
Germany, a major NATO ally, also sent two warships to the Taiwan Strait on Friday, defying warnings from China. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said the waterway is in international waters and the shortest and safest route for warships.
Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Caitlin Flynn / US Navy
The latest transit of the Taiwan Strait by the US military came shortly after Chinese and US defense officials met in Beijing over the weekend for a round of policy talks.
US-China defense relations, as well as regional and global security issues were discussed. Michael Chase, deputy assistant secretary of defense for China, Taiwan and Mongolia, stressed the importance of preserving peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.
He also mentioned the importance of respecting the freedom of navigation guaranteed by international law, the Pentagon said in a reading of the discussions.
The Chinese side of the talks was led by Major General Ye Jiang, deputy director of the Office of the Central Military Commission for International Military Cooperation. The Chinese Defense Ministry said the two sides exchanged views on issues of common concern.