2 American warships crossed Taiwan Strait

SANAA, Dec. 31 (YPA) – Two US warships sailed across the Taiwan Strait on Thursday, sparking a protest from China, in the second such crossing this month and in a move that comes nearly two weeks after a Chinese battle group led by an aircraft carrier used the same waterway.
China, which considers Taiwan part of its territory, has been angered by the intensification of US support for the island, which includes arms sales and the conduct of warships across the Taiwan Strait, which further tense relations between Washington and Beijing.
The US Navy said, “destroyers John McCain and Curtis Wilbur, carrying guided missiles,” made a regular crossing of the Taiwan Strait on December 31, in line with international law.
“The passage of ships through the Taiwan Strait shows the American commitment to the freedom and openness of the Indian and Pacific Oceans, and the United States Army will continue to fly, sail and operate anywhere international law allows,”  the US Navy added.
It is the thirteenth time that US naval vessels cross the strait this year, according to Reuters.