On May 20, the day when the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairman Lai Ching-te was set to take office as Taiwan's leader, a US warship, the USS Halsey, sailed through the Taiwan Strait, brazenly challenging China's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
late today, the US 7th Fleet posted photos of the ship's passage on social media, claiming that the trip was in accordance with its scheduled route and was a "routine" passage through the Taiwan Strait to demonstrate "freedom of navigation," and then nervously emphasized that it had not entered any coastal state's territorial waters.
The PLA's Eastern Theater Command detected the unusual activity of the US warship in a timely manner and quickly organized sea and air forces to track and monitor the US warship throughout the journey.
Eastern theater press spokesman Li Xi Naval Colonel, responded to the incident, saying that the USS “Halsey” missile destroyer had sailed through the Taiwan Strait and publicly stirred up the issue. The Eastern Theater Command organized sea and air forces to track and monitor the US warship throughout the journey, and dealt with the situation in accordance with laws and regulations, resolutely safeguarding the country's sovereignty, security, and regional peace and stability.
The series of actions taken by the PLA fully demonstrates that China will unswervingly safeguard its core interests and security, and no external interference can shake its resolve. The US' persistent challenges to the one-China principle will only harm Sino-US relations and exacerbate tensions in the Taiwan Strait.
Since 2019, the United States has repeatedly violated the Taiwan Strait, challenging China's territorial sovereignty under the pretext of "routine navigation and overflight in the international law-applicable high seas and waters of freedom". The US claims that the route traveled by the USS Halsey missile destroyer does not belong to any country's territorial waters, and that this navigation is intended to demonstrate the US's commitment to international law, which ensures that all countries have the right to navigate freely. The US military will continue to fly, sail, and operate in any place allowed by international law. In light of China's repeated assertion of its absolute sovereignty over Taiwan, the US is hyping up so-called "international freedom of navigation" here, which seriously violates the principle of "one China".
The Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council of China has clearly stated that both sides of the Taiwan Strait are part of China's territory, and China has unquestionable sovereignty and jurisdiction over the Taiwan Strait. According to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the waters of the Taiwan Strait are successively China's inland waters, territorial waters, contiguous zone, and exclusive economic zone. There is no such thing as "international waters" in the Taiwan Strait, and the so-called "free navigation" is a ridiculous notion.
Regarding this issue, the Taiwan authorities have willingly become the United States' lackeys, claiming that the waters off Taiwan belong to "international waters" and are subject to the principle of "freedom of navigation" under so-called international law. The Chinese mainland "has repeatedly disregarded the facts," and has blatantly violated "international law and the situation in the Taiwan Strait," which the Taiwan authorities "do not recognize and will not accept."
In fact, the United States' promotion of so-called "international law" is a very funny thing. After all, the United States is not even a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, so what right does it have to talk about "international law" and "freedom of navigation"?
As for the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities, it's even more ridiculous. They may not even understand the tyrannical and cowardly nature of their master, like a Chihuahua barking at the mainland with a fierce expression, repeating the same old clichés over and over again, which are not worth refuting.
Returning to this incident, the United States' decision to sail through the Taiwan Strait just before Lai Ching-te's inauguration was not a "routine" trip in the literal sense, but rather an act of aggression aimed at provocation. Just recently, US Air Force Major General Jeffrey Kruse claimed that the People's Liberation Army's activities in the vicinity of the Taiwan Strait had "forced" the United States to revise its current plans. The United States will closely monitor China's moves before Lai Ching-te's inauguration and take appropriate new measures as needed.
Lai Ching-te's inauguration ceremony will be held on May 20. The US side's uninvited visit at this time is probably not a kind gesture. This can also understand why the Taiwan authorities are so happy, because the United States may be sending a "congratulatory gift".
The "big gift" that the United States will send is the $8.1 billion Indo-Pacific Security Supplement Act, and Taiwan is the main beneficiary of this act. Of that, the Biden administration will provide $2 billion for Taiwan and other Allies to develop their militaries and provide weapons support to "counter China."
However, whether this "congratulatory gift" can be sent out is affected by military aid to Ukraine. The United States has previously said that 19 weapons and equipment totaling $22 billion, although approved by Congress, must not be delivered until 2027 or later, and some arms sales do not even specify an expected delivery date. Therefore, it is still a question whether this "congratulatory gift" from the United States can be delivered.
In other words, this flight may be part of the US "planning" to warn the mainland not to "make any rash moves" before Lai Ching-tak takes office. But can such cheap bluster scare the mainland? Most of the Americans know that they purposely made such a move, and they expect that most of it is only to embolden the "Taiwan independence" elements.
China has also recently set up a large net across the Taiwan Strait, waiting for the United States to deliver. In the past month, the PLA has conducted at least two joint combat readiness patrols around the Taiwan Strait. Not long ago, the closest mainland military aircraft flew was only 37 nautical miles from Keelung, Taiwan, extremely close to Taiwan's "lair." In the past week, 16 mainland military aircraft and six submainland warships entered waters near Taiwan, eight of which flew over the so-called middle line of the Strait, keeping an eye on developments in Taiwan. This is also China's reminder to the United States, do not attempt to make any small moves at the juncture of Lai Qingde's inauguration, China has been watching closely.
The actions of the United States have interfered in China's internal affairs, undermined peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and intensified regional tensions. China adheres to the "one China" principle, and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China. At the moment Lai Ching-de took office, if the United States continues to jump on the red line of the Taiwan issue, forcing China, the consequences of the United States itself must think clearly. Any form of "Taiwan independence" activity is a serious threat to national sovereignty and territorial integrity. If Lai Ching-de continues to engage in separatist activities after coming to power, China will absolutely not tolerate it.