Taipei, Nov 26 (EFE).- A US Navy patrol and reconnaissance plane transited the Taiwan Strait on Tuesday, demonstrating the US’ commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific, the navy’s 7th fleet said.
“A US Navy P-8A Poseidon transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace on Nov. 26, 2024 (local time),” the 7th fleet said in a statement.
This was the first such aircraft to fly in two months over the Taiwan Strait, which is a maritime route frequently used by US military ships and claimed by China as its own.
“By operating within the Taiwan Strait in accordance with international law, the United States upholds the navigational rights and freedoms of all nations…The United States military flies, sails, and operates anywhere international law allows,” the statement concluded.
The move took place amid tensions between Beijing and Washington following Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun’s refusal last week to meet with his US counterpart, Lloyd Austin, on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations defense ministers’ summit held in Laos due to disagreements over Taiwan.
The transit of the aircraft also coincided with US Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley’s three-day visit to Taiwan, where he is scheduled to meet with the island’s president, William Lai, and other high-ranking officials, according to a statement from the Taiwanese foreign ministry.
In recent years, China has progressively increased its pressure on Taiwan, an island governed autonomously since 1949 and considered by Beijing to be a rebel province.
Tensions between the two sides have intensified following Lai’s inauguration as the new Taiwanese president on May 20.
Since then, Taiwan’s defense ministry has detected more than 3,100 Chinese military aircraft operating in the vicinity of the island, of which 2,216 crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait or violated Taiwan’s self-proclaimed Air Defense Identification Zone.
Although they do not maintain formal diplomatic relations, the US is Taiwan’s main weapons supplier and has pledged in principle to defend the island in the event of a conflict with China. EFE
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