US Guided-Missile Destroyer Crosses Taiwan Strait, China Reacts, US and Taiwan Respond

On Thursday, August 22nd, a US missile destroyer routine passed through the Taiwan Strait, which triggered a reaction from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), accusing the US of “publicity stunt” and dispatching air and sea forces for surveillance. Both the US and Taiwan responded to the incident.

The US Navy’s Seventh Fleet stated in a press release that the USS Ralph Johnson destroyer sailed through the strait in accordance with international law as a “routine” passage, complying with international regulations.

The Chinese military called the passage a “publicity stunt” and claimed to have sent air and sea forces to monitor and warn the US vessel, stating they will handle the situation “according to law and regulations.”

Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense mentioned that the ship was sailing northward through the strait, and Taiwan’s military was monitoring the situation but did not observe any anomalies.

The US military frequently conducts such transits in the Taiwan Strait, with ships and aircraft passing through about once a month. Despite CCP’s reaction, these actions are part of the US commitment to upholding freedom of navigation in international waters.

This latest event highlights the ongoing tensions between the US and Beijing over the Taiwan issue, a flashpoint in their broader geopolitical competition. The US does not have formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, but it is a longstanding ally of democratic Taiwan.

However, the CCP has never renounced the use of force to unify Taiwan and continues to provoke Taiwan, keeping the region in a state of tension.

The PLA Eastern Theater Command stated that they would “maintain a high level of readiness.”

The Taiwan government rejects the CCP’s sovereignty claims, insisting that only the Taiwanese people can determine their future.

In recent years, the security situation in the Taiwan Strait has garnered international attention. Admiral Tomohisa Takei, former Chief of Staff of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, expressed on Wednesday that the CCP’s tactics in the gray zone have unilaterally altered the status quo, impacting not only freedom of navigation in the Indo-Pacific region but also escalating regional tensions.

Former Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda also emphasized on the same day that countries worldwide recognize the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, describing it as a “global consensus.” He strongly opposes any unilateral attempts to change the status quo through force or coercion.