On January 24, the US Navy announced that the destroyer USS John Finn had passed through a corridor in the Taiwan Strait, a move that drew protests from China.
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| US destroyer USS John Finn. (Source: US Navy) |
Reuters quoted the US Navy's announcement as saying: "The transit of the USS John Finn through the Taiwan Strait demonstrates the US commitment to upholding the principle of freedom of navigation for all nations."
According to the announcement, the corridor in the Taiwan Strait “lies beyond the territorial waters of any coastal state.”
Responding to the above move, on January 25, China said that its military was monitoring and supervising the destroyer USS John Finn.
A spokesman for the Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army criticized the USS John Finn for "publicly exaggerating" the sea route, stressing: "The forces of the theater always remain on high alert and resolutely safeguard national sovereignty ."
On the same day, Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Wu Qian said that US warships and aircraft were causing trouble and provocation right at China's doorstep, conducting large-scale, high-frequency activities in the seas and airspace surrounding China.
Responding to a regular press conference, Mr. Ngo Khiem emphasized that the Chinese Armed Forces handled the issue in accordance with legal regulations and affirmed that the related actions were reasonable, legitimate, professional and restrained.
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