Chinese anger as US warships pass through Taiwan Strait

Two US warships sailed through the Taiwan Strait over the weekend, raising protests from China.

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen escorts her Guatemalan counterpart past a guard of honour in Taipei yesterday. Picture: AFP

Two US warships sailed through the Taiwan Strait over the weekend, Taiwan’s defence ministry said, in a move Beijing said threatened to hinder US-China relations.

The ministry said the ships made the passage on Sunday, sailing from south to north through the waterway that ­divides the self-governing island from mainland China.

Beijing objects to the movement of foreign military vessels in the strait based on its claim to Taiwan as its own territory, to be annexed by force if necessary.

Taiwan’s defence ministry said US ships were free to sail through the Taiwan Strait as part of their “strategic Indo-Pacific tasks”. Despite the lack of formal diplomatic ties, the US is a key ally of Taiwan and provider of defensive weapons.

China has been increasingly willing to protest actions by foreign militaries in areas it considers its home waters or sphere of influence. That especially ­applies to the Taiwan Strait and South China Sea, which China claims almost in its entirety.

Beijing complained last week about a French warship traversing the Taiwan Strait, and blamed British naval activity in the South China Sea for a downturn in bilateral relations.

China has sought to restrict the activities of foreign militaries in its surrounding waters and maintains its own interpretation of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

AP