- US warship USS Ralph Johnson sailed through the Taiwan Strait.
- China, which claims democratic Taiwan, has intensified military pressure by deploying more fighter jets.
- Taiwan’s defense ministry confirmed that no anomaly was detected in the surroundings.
On Thursday, the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Ralph Johnson sailed through the 180-kilometer Taiwan Strait. This transit reflects the United States and its allies’ efforts to reinforce the strait's status as an international waterway, a move that has angered Beijing. The US Navy’s Seventh Fleet stated that the voyage demonstrated Washington’s “commitment to upholding freedom of navigation for all nations.”
“No member of the international community should be intimidated or coerced into giving up their rights and freedoms.”
Taiwan’s defense ministry confirmed that the warship sailed south to north, and that “no anomaly was detected in our surroundings.”
Beijing’s People’s Liberation Army dismissed the transit as “public hype” and stated that its Eastern Theatre Command organized naval and air forces to monitor and guard against the US ship throughout its passage. Chinese troops remain on constant high alert to “resolutely defend national sovereignty,” according to their statement.
Last month, a Canadian Halifax-class frigate carried out a “routine transit through the Taiwan Strait,” a move that the Chinese military condemned. Beijing has stated it will never renounce the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control. In recent years, Chinese leader Xi Jinping has intensified rhetoric, declaring that “unification” is “inevitable.”
In response, Taiwan has strengthened its economic and political ties with its partners, especially the United States, its largest weapons provider, while boosting its defense budget. On Thursday, the island’s cabinet approved a record-high defense budget of NT$647 billion ($20.2 billion) for next year, marking a six percent increase from 2024.
This month, President Lai Ching-te stated that the budget demonstrated Taiwan’s “determination to improve our self-defense capabilities... to ensure peace and prosperity.” However, the amount still needs scrutiny and approval from Taiwan’s contentious parliament, where Lai’s Democratic Progressive Party no longer holds a majority.
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