ALBAWABA - The U.S. destroyer "USS Milius" sailed through Taiwan Strait, amid high alert from China. A step that is expected to raise the level of tension between Beijing and Washington.
The guided-missile warship "routinely transited the Taiwan Strait", on Sunday, where "freedom of navigation and overflight on the high seas applies in accordance with international law," U.S. Navy's Seventh Fleet reported.
USS Milius (DDG 69) conducted a routine Taiwan Strait transit April 16 (local time) through waters where high-seas freedoms of navigation and overflight apply in accordance with international law.
— 7th Fleet (@US7thFleet) April 17, 2023
Click here to read more:https://t.co/kVeETF1HUi pic.twitter.com/IzEOPA1T0Y
The Seventh Fleet account on Twitter published photos of the crew while looking at the Taiwan Strait. The strait is considered one of the most important waterways in the world.
Sailors participate in security reaction force training aboard the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Milius (DDG 69) while operating in the South China Sea, April 15. #US7thFleet | #UnderwayOps | #ShipShape pic.twitter.com/NdemnOFzwd
— 7th Fleet (@US7thFleet) April 17, 2023
This step came days after China conducted military exercises around Taiwan island.
On April.8, Beijing conducted three days of military exercises around the island. The maneuvers included simulated targeted strikes and a blockade of the island.
The maneuvers came as a response to Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen's recent visit to the United States and her meeting with U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
The US warship USS Milius sailed through the Taiwan Strait on Sunday, in what the US Navy described as a ‘routine’ transit, just days after China ended its latest war games around the island https://t.co/rFWG9d0Lz3 pic.twitter.com/MypfuzXtax
— Reuters (@Reuters) April 17, 2023
On the last day of the maneuvers, Milius sailed into the South China Sea, which
Beijing claims sovereignty over.
#UPDATE US Navy says its guided-missile destroyer the USS Milius has sailed through the Taiwan Strait in a "freedom of navigation" operation.
— AFP News Agency (@AFP) April 17, 2023
It comes just days after China staged massive war games around the island pic.twitter.com/gzLQCOjlZi
China, in turn, confirmed that it had closely followed the passage of the American destroyer in the Taiwan Strait, noting that its forces remained "at a high level of alert."
"The US Navy hyped up the transit of a USS Milius guided-missile destroyer through the Taiwan Strait," says Senior Col. Shi Yi, spokesperson for the PLA Eastern Theater Commandhttps://t.co/BcR4TgziG3
— TRT World (@trtworld) April 17, 2023
"Our troops will always remain at a high level of alert, and will resolutely defend national sovereignty and security, as well as regional peace and stability," said Colonel Shi Yi, spokesperson for the Chinese military.
China considers Taiwan part of its territory and has vowed bring the self-governing island under its control, one day.
