US warship sails across Taiwan Strait

SANAA, Feb. 26 (YPA) – A US warship sailed through the sensitive Taiwan Strait on Saturday, part of what the US military calls routine activity but which China described as “provocative”.

According to the Reuters, the US Navy’s 7th Fleet said the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Ralph Johnson was conducting a “routine” transit through international waters.

“The ship’s transit through the Taiwan Strait demonstrates the United States’ commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific,” 7th Fleet spokesperson Nicholas Lingo said in a statement.

“The United States military flies, sails, and operates anywhere international law allows.”

On Thursday (February 24th), the Chinese Foreign Ministry stressed that Taiwan is an integral part of Chinese territory and that peace has conditions.

On the other hand, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying said it is unwise of certain people of the Taiwan authorities to latch on to and exploit the Ukraine issue to their advantage.

She continued:  The Taiwan region’s peace hinges on the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations, rather than fawning on foreign forces for arms sales and military support. “Taiwan independence” only leads to a dead end.

E.M