The USS Milius, a U.S. warship, journeyed through the Taiwan Strait on Sunday, just days after China concluded its recent war games near the island. The U.S. Navy referred to the transit as "routine" on Monday.
China, which considers Taiwan as part of its own territory, finished a three-day series of exercises around the island last Monday. The drills focused on precision strikes and blockading Taiwan. China conducted the exercises in response to Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen's meeting with U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, interpreting it as an intervention in China's internal affairs and an indication of U.S. support for Taiwan's separate identity from China.
The U.S. Navy's 7th Fleet stated that the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Milius carried out a "routine Taiwan Strait transit" through waters "where high-seas freedoms of navigation and overflight apply in accordance with international law." The transit underlines the United States' dedication to a free and open Indo-Pacific, the fleet added.
On Monday, the Chinese military's Eastern Theatre Command reported via social media that it had organized troops to follow and monitor the U.S. destroyer throughout its operation. Taiwan's defense ministry stated that the ship moved in a northerly direction through the strait, with the situation in the strait remaining "as normal" during the transit.
The U.S. Navy sends warships through the strait approximately once a month and routinely conducts similar freedom of navigation missions in the disputed South China Sea. Last week, the USS Milius sailed near Mischief Reef, one of the most significant man-made and Chinese-controlled islands in the South China Sea, prompting Beijing to denounce the action as illegal.
Although the drills have concluded, China has continued its military activities around Taiwan, albeit on a smaller scale. Taiwan's defense ministry revealed on Monday morning that it had detected 18 Chinese military aircraft and four naval vessels operating near Taiwan in the previous 24 hours.
China has not ruled out using force to bring the democratically governed island under its control. Taiwan's government, on the other hand, rejects China's territorial claims and asserts that only the island's people can determine their future.
