In a move expected to trigger China, a United States (US) warship sailed through the sensitive Taiwan Strait on Saturday, stressing that the “routine” transit reflects Washington’s “commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.”
A statement released by the US 7th Fleet spokesperson Nicholas Lingo announced that “The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Ralph Johnson (DDG 114)” conducted “a routine Taiwan Strait transit… through a corridor in the Strait that is beyond the territorial sea of any coastal State.” Emphasising that the transit “through international waters” was “in accordance with international law,” the statement added that “the United States military flies, sails, and operates anywhere international law allows.”
In response to the transit, Taiwan’s Defence Ministry said that its forces had monitored USS Ralph Johnson’s passage and did not observe any irregularities. Similarly, China, which considers Taiwan to be part of its own territory, said that its People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) Eastern Theater Command had “organised forces to track and monitor its entire course on high alert.”
The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Ralph Johnson (DDG 114) is conducting a routine Taiwan Strait transit Feb. 26 (local time) through international waters in accordance with international law.
— 7th Fleet (@US7thFleet) February 26, 2022
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According to the US Navy, the last time it made a similar transit was on January 22, when the USS Dewey (DDG-105), another Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, sailed through the Strait. The US Navy conducted such navigations on a monthly basis last year.
The US Navy’s presence in international waters near China is not unprecedented, as it continues to regularly pass through the disputed South China Sea (SCS) as well. On January 24, two US Navy aircraft carrier strike groups entered the SCS for training. In a thinly veiled reference to China, a senior US official said that the exercise had aimed to “reassure allies” and demonstrate Washington’s resolve to “counter malign influence.”
Beijing has often criticised Washington for its maritime “provocations” in the past. However, the US Navy has argued that “under international law as reflected in the Law of the Sea Convention, the ships of all states, including their warships, enjoy the right of innocent passage through the territorial sea.” On this basis, the US Navy frequently carries out such missions in the SCS to challenge the Chinese territorial claims.
The latest passage came against the backdrop of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Beijing’s support for Moscow. In fact, there are concerns that China could seek to take similar action in Taiwan. Although the Taiwanese government has reported no unusual Chinese manoeuvres, it remains on high alert due to concerns that China may attempt to take advantage of the fact that international attention and efforts have been somewhat diverted by the Ukraine crisis.
In fact, just last Wednesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said, “Taiwan for sure is not Ukraine. Taiwan has always been an inalienable part of China’s territory,” before adding, ““Taiwan independence” only leads to a dead end. No one shall have any illusion or make any miscalculation on this issue.”
In this regard, Chinese state-owned media house Global Times quoted unnamed “experts” saying that “while the voyage of the US vessel seemed to be a regular move, it sent a wrong signal to the Taiwan secessionists amid their concern that they could be abandoned by the US like Ukraine.”