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A U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon aircraft flew through the Taiwan Strait in international airspace Friday, a transit the U.S. 7th Fleet said demonstrated Washington’s commitment to a “free and open Indo-Pacific,” Reuters reported.
China’s military tracked and monitored the patrol and reconnaissance aircraft throughout the transit, the state-backed Global Times reported, citing a military source who said the “situation was under control.”
U.S. military ships or aircraft pass through or above the strait every few months, moves that regularly draw objections from Beijing.
“By operating within the Taiwan Strait in accordance with international law, the United States upholds the navigational rights and freedoms of all nations,” the U.S. 7th Fleet said.
“The aircraft’s transit of the Taiwan Strait demonstrates the United States’ commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific. The United States military flies, sails, and operates anywhere international law allows.”
China claims democratically governed Taiwan as its territory and says it has jurisdiction over the Taiwan Strait. Taiwan and the U.S. maintain that the strait is an international waterway.
Beijing has repeatedly described Taiwan as an internal matter and a core interest, calling it a “red line” that must not be crossed. Taiwan’s government rejects China’s sovereignty claims and says only the island’s people can decide their future.
The passage comes ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s expected visit to the United States next month for a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump.
Washington and Beijing are seeking to stabilize relations strained by issues including Taiwan, trade disputes and technology restrictions.
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