Taiwan military says two US warships pass through Taiwan Strait

Taiwan says a pair of the United States Navy's guided-missile destroyers have passed through the Taiwan Strait as the US and China, which claims the self-ruled island state as its territory, are in the middle of an unprecedented trade war.

According to a statement released by Taiwan’s Defense Ministry on Saturday, the two warships were sailing in a northeastern direction on Friday night. It added that the situation was in accordance with regulations.

China has not yet reacted to the rare passage of American warships through the strait.

Last week, US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis traveled to Beijing for the first time, becoming the first Pentagon chief to visit China since 2014.

China and Taiwan separated during a civil war in 1949, and Beijing pursues reunification ever since, and Chinese officials have never renounced the use of force to bring under China’s control what it sees as a wayward province.

China claims sovereignty over Taiwan, and almost all world countries recognize that sovereignty under a policy known as “One China.”

Beijing-Taipei ties have particularly been strained since incumbent Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, who has anti-China inclinations, took office in 2016, as she declines to acknowledge that both sides are part of “One China.”

PressTV-‘Chinese warships holding drills near Taiwan Strait’

The Chinese army says its warships have been holding daily drills near the Taiwan Strait for more than a week now.

Washington has no diplomatic relations with Taipei, but preserves military ties with it, forwarding advanced military hardware to the island state. The White House, too, follows the “One China” policy, but it has flirted with the idea of recognizing Taiwan as independent, which angers Beijing.

The passage of the two American warships, reportedly Mustin and Benfold, is likely be perceived in Taiwan as a sign of support by US President Donald Trump amid escalating trade tension with China. It also followed a string of Chinese military drills around the island state that have stoked tensions between Taipei and Beijing.

The last time a US aircraft carrier passed through the strait was in 2007, during the administration of then President George W. Bush, and some American military officials believe a carrier transit is overdue.

PressTV-China: US 'opening fire' on entire world, including self

China says the United States is “opening fire” on the global economy by imposing tariffs on products from China and other countries.

China is particularly suspicious of the US intentions toward Taiwan, which is a core concern of Beijing when it comes to relations with Washington.

Trump has in particular been playing up the Taiwan card against China. In March, he signed new rules that would allow senior US officials to travel to Taiwan to meet their Taiwanese counterparts and vice versa. The move infuriated Beijing at the time.

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