US sends guided-missile cruisers through Taiwan Strait, first since Nancy Pelosi's visit

In a first amid  military standoff in Taiwan Strait triggered by visit of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan, Biden ministration sent its warships to island nation. According to statement released by US 7th Fleet, guided-missile cruisers -- USS Antietam and USS Chancellorsville -- are conducting a routine transit. cruisers transited through a corridor in Strait that is beyond territorial sea of any coastal State, it ded. Furr, it ted that transit was "ongoing" and military interference reported so far. tably, US Pacific Fleet pointed fingers at Beijing which has been regularly sending its warplanes and warships near border of Taiwan for past month. 

"se ships are transiting through a corridor in Strait that is beyond territorial sea of any coastal state. ships' transit through Taiwan Strait demonstrates United States' commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific. United States military flies, sails, and operates anywhere international law allows," a US Navy spokesperson told Japan Times. tably, 160-kilometre-wide strait divides Taiwan from mainland China.

China warns US against conducting military exercises in Taiwan Strait

Earlier on August 18, when United States confirmed its intention to continue military exercises in Taiwan Strait, China reacted strongly and warned it will respond to ongoing "US aggression". Taking to microblogging site, China's Ambassor to US, Qin Gang, urged his American colleagues to refrain from conducting any military exercise with Taiwan and ded it would only escalate tension between two countries. 

According to Chinese diplomat, strategic stability is t only about military, but also about political foundation. He compared relationship between two countries to a house. "For this house to be firm & stable, we need a solid foundation. same ory applies to state-to-state relations. So what is foundation of China-US relations? one-China principle and stipulations of three joint communique," he ted. 

US-China tensions deteriorate after Nancy Pelosi's visit

It is essential to te here that Chinese government h warned Taiwan of a dramatic situation for allowing US Speaker Nancy Pelosi to visit Taipei. It sent 27 aircraft to Taiwan's air defence identification zone (IZ) hours after Pelosi's plane left Taipei after she spent nearly 18 hours on island claimed by Beijing as its own. Also, China fired “precision missiles” in waters off Taiwan’s coasts as part of military exercises. Meanwhile, United States called Chinese action against Taiwan both "irresponsible" and an attempt to change "status quo". After Pelosi, US Senator Marsha Blackburn, who landed in Taipei early on Friday, met with President Tsai Ing-wen in country's national capital, Taipei. During meeting, she affirmed that Biden ministration remains stefast in preserving freedom around globe, and ded it will t tolerate "efforts to undermine our nation and our allies."

Im: AP