According to US military officials, a Chinese warship engaged in an unsafe maneuver by coming within 150 yards (137 meters) of a US destroyer in the Taiwan Strait. The incident occurred during a joint exercise between the US and Canadian navies in the strait, which separates Taiwan and China. The Chinese ship abruptly cut in front of the US guided-missile destroyer Chung-Hoon, forcing it to decelerate and avoid a potential collision, as stated by the US Indo-Pacific Command.
The People’s Republic of China (PRC) has long considered Taiwan as its territory since the Republic of China government relocated to the island in 1949. Taiwan’s government, however, maintains that the PRC has never governed the island, and US President Joe Biden has affirmed the US commitment to defending Taiwan in case of a Chinese invasion.
In response to the joint sailing of the US and Canadian navies through the Taiwan Strait, China’s military criticized the United States and Canada for deliberately provoking risks in the region. The US Navy’s 7th Fleet described the transit as routine.
