China: US sending warship to Taiwan is trespassing on property

China stated that the passage of two U.S. Navy warships through the Taiwan Strait yesterday could not be considered as freedom of navigation, describing the passage as “encroachment on other people’s property.” Foreign Ministry spokesman Cao Licien assessed the passage of the USS Antietam and USS Chancellorsville through the strait separating the mainland and Taiwan Island at a press conference in Beijing today. Arguing that U.S. warships frequently make a show of force in the region in the name of “freedom of navigation,” spokesman Cao said, “This has nothing to do with making the region free and open. This is a provocation aimed at ‘freedom to encroach on other people’s property’ and constitutes deliberate sabotage of regional peace and stability.” The U.S. Navy’s 7th Fleet in the Pacific announced yesterday that the two “cruiser”-type warships “were conducting a routine passage through the Taiwan Strait.” The statement emphasized that “the ships were using a corridor that is not in the territorial waters of any of the countries bordering the Strait.” The passage was the first navigational activity of the U.S. Navy in the Strait since U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan, which is in a sovereignty dispute with China, at the beginning of the month. In a statement, the Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) declared “vigilance” due to the passage of the ships and said that they were “closely monitoring the passage and are ready to repel any possible provocation.” China, which sees Taiwan as part of its territory, considers the Strait to be its territorial waters and sovereign area. The U.S., on the other hand, maintains that it has the right of passage within the scope of freedom of navigation in the region, which it considers to be in “international waters.” Pelosi’s visit and the escalating military tensions Pelosi became the first U.S. House of Representatives Speaker to visit the island, which is in a sovereignty dispute with China, in 25 years. The visit drew the ire of China, which sees the island as part of its territory. Following the visit, the Chinese army launched military exercises around the island. The exercises, which lasted 7 days, created a de facto blockade around the island. During the exercises, in which live weapons and ammunition were used, guided missiles fired from the Chinese mainland fell into the waters near Taiwan. The army spokesman announced on August 10 that the exercises were completed, but announced that military patrols in the Taiwan Strait would continue. Following his visit, flights and patrols by Chinese army fighter jets and warships crossing the nominal "median line", which is assumed to delimit the parties' spheres of influence in the Taiwan Strait, became regular. Emphasizing the "one China principle," Beijing opposes Taiwan establishing independent diplomatic relations with world countries and being represented in the United Nations and other international organizations, and requires countries that recognize it to sever diplomatic relations with Taiwan.