Tensions Rise as US and UK Warships Navigate the Taiwan Strait
Concerns have escalated as U.S. and British warships sailed through the Taiwan Strait, provoking a sharp reaction from China's military. The event underscores the ongoing debate over the status of this strategic waterway, with international tensions mounting over Taiwan's contested sovereignty.
In a significant show of military presence, the U.S. destroyer USS Higgins and British frigate HMS Richmond navigated through the Taiwan Strait on Friday, leading to a sharp rebuke from China's military. The People's Liberation Army's Eastern Theatre Command accused the vessels of 'trouble-making and provocation' and dispatched naval and air forces to monitor their passage.
This latest incident has highlighted the contentious status of the Taiwan Strait, which the U.S. and its allies regard as an international waterway, while China claims it as part of its territorial waters. Taiwan also maintains that the strait is an international passage, countering Beijing's assertions.
While Britain's defence ministry described the sailing as a routine procedure adhering to international law, China's reaction reflects heightened tensions over Taiwan, further exacerbated by increased military activities around the island by Beijing in recent years.
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