New Delhi: After the visit of US Parliament Speaker Nancy Pelosi, America has given another blow to China. The US Navy has made China feel its power by passing two of its warships through the Taiwan Strait. Two guided-missile cruisers, USS Antietam and USS Chancellorsville, are reported to have demonstrated freedom of navigation in international waters. The US Navy has released a statement in this regard. Passing through the Taiwan Strait demonstrates America’s commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific, the statement said. A series of visits to Taiwan by US officials and politicians has fueled renewed tensions between China and the US.
China is claiming the strait
This strait is 110 miles that separates Taiwan from mainland China. China claims sovereignty over Taiwan and regards it as its strait, although the ruling Communist Party of China has never taken control of the island. However, the US Navy said most of the strait is in international waters.
China Employs Policy of Intimidation: White House Office
The White House, US President Joe Biden’s office, recently said that China’s actions to “intimidate and use force” on Taiwan were fundamentally against the goal of peace and stability following Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taipei. The US will take ‘calm and firm’ steps to support the self-governing island. China’s ruling Communist Party has long claimed sovereignty over Taiwan. However, Beijing insists that its current “one-China principle” will prevent foreign government officials from setting foot on the island. But when American warships passed through the strait, China watched.
After Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan, China’s People’s Liberation Army declared war on Taiwan from August 4 to 7. Later, the Chinese military increased combat exercises around Taiwan because Beijing views Taiwan as a rebel province. China has warned that Beijing will exercise regular warfare as a new normal to enforce its ‘one-China principle’.