WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 29th July, 2021) A US guided missile destroyer transited through the Taiwan Strait in accordance with international law, the US 7th Fleet said on Wednesday.
"The Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Benfold (DDG 65) conducted a routine Taiwan Strait transit July 28 (local time) through international waters in accordance with international law," the 7th Fleet said in a statement.
The US Navy said the transit demonstrates the United States' commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific region and will continue to operate anywhere international law allows it to do so.
The Chinese military denounced the transit of a different Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, the Curtis Wilbur, through the Taiwan Strait in June. The spokesperson for the Chinese military's Eastern Theater Command Zhang Chunhui said then the action deliberately undermined regional security and damaged peace and stability.
The Benfold conducted what the US government calls a freedom of navigation operation in the South China Sea earlier in July. China responded by accusing the United States of trespassing.
US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman raised concerns earlier about China's position on the Taiwan Strait during meetings with Chinese officials, including Foreign Minister and State Councilor Wang Yi.
