China’s Eastern Theater Command, represented by Navy Senior Capt. Li Xi, has criticized the recent passage of the USS Halsey, a US destroyer, through the Taiwan Strait.
This passage occurred less than two weeks before the new president of Taiwan took office and amidst ongoing efforts by Washington and Beijing to restore regular military exchange. Capt. Li Xi accused the US of exaggerating the significance of the passage, as the USS Halsey oversees operations in the strait.
In response, the US Navy’s 7th Fleet stated that the Halsey conducted a routine transit on May 8 through waters where international law allows for freedoms of navigation and overflight.
They emphasized that the destroyer navigated through a corridor in the strait that lies beyond the territorial sea of any coastal state. The fleet reiterated the United States’ commitment to upholding freedom of navigation as a principle for all nations and emphasized that no country should feel coerced or intimidated into relinquishing their rights and freedoms. They further stated that the US military operates wherever international law permits.
The Taiwanese military closely monitored the situation during the transit and reported that everything remained normal.
According to Western media, the previous passage of this nature occurred on April 17, just a day after the first talks between the US and Chinese defense chiefs in November 2022 aimed at reducing regional tensions.
