[Ed. – You have to admit, Taiwan is cuter than Communist China. The Taiwan Strait is an international waters transit, incidentally. China claims an excessive authority over it to levy requirements not recognized under the Law of the Sea.]
China, which claims democratically-run Taiwan as its own territory, has been angered by stepped-up U.S. support for the island, including arms sales and sailing warships through the Taiwan Strait, further souring Beijing-Washington relations.
The U.S. Navy said the guided missile destroyer USS Mustin had conducted “a routine Taiwan Strait transit (on) Dec. 19 in accordance with international law”.
“The ship’s transit through the Taiwan Strait demonstrates the U.S. commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific,” it added. …
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China’s military, in a statement released by its Eastern Theatre Command, said its air and naval forces “tailed and monitored” the vessel throughout.
