A U.S. guided-missile destroyer and a Canadian frigate sailed through the Taiwan Strait Thursday, U.S. 7th Fleet announced.
Japan-based USS Rafael Peralta (DDG-115) and Royal Canadian Navy Halifax-class frigate HMCS Ottawa (FFH-341) made the transit while tailed by Chinese warships and aircraft.
The warships, “conducted a routine Taiwan Strait transit Nov. 1 through waters where high-seas freedoms of navigation and overflight apply in accordance with international law. The ships transited through a corridor in the Strait that is beyond the territorial sea of any coastal state,” reads the statement from U.S. 7th Fleet. “The transit was unremarkable, unprovocative, and consistent with international law. Rafael Peralta and Ottawa’s bilateral transit through the Taiwan Strait demonstrates the commitment of the United States and our allies and partners to a free and open Indo-Pacific.”
The People’s Liberation Army released a statement saying the U.S. “hyped up” the transit and confirmed they monitored the passage of Ottawa and Rafael Peralta through the Taiwan Strait.
The last reported U.S. warship to transit the Taiwan Strait was USS Ralph Johnson (DDG-114) and HMCS Ottawa (FFH-341) in September.
The transit comes as the U.S. deployed two carrier strike groups to the Western Pacific. USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) and USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) are both operating nearby.
Chinese aircraft carrier CNS Shandong (17) deployed on its own Western Pacific patrol last week. Destroyers CNS Guilin (164) and CNS Changsha (173) and frigates CNS Xuchang (536) and CNS Huangshan (570), deployed with the carrier, USNI News reported earlier this week.
The Shandong Carrier Strike Group drilled with land-based fighters near Taiwan earlier this week.
“The Taiwan Ministry of National Defense posted on social media that it had detected PLA aircraft that morning, including J-11, J-16 and SU-30 fighters, Y-20 tankers, H-6 bombers, KJ-500 airborne early warning and control (AEW&C), Y-8 electronic intelligence, Y-9 communications countermeasures and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV). According to the post, 23 of the aircraft entered Taiwan’s Southwest Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) and conducted joint combat patrols with the Shandong CSG. “Republic of China Armed Forces have monitored the situation and tasked CAP aircraft, Navy vessels, and land-based missile systems to respond,” wrote USNI News on Wednesday.
The following is the complete statement from the U.S. 7th Fleet.
TAIWAN STRAIT – Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Rafael Peralta (DDG 115) and Royal Canadian Navy Halifax-class frigate HMCS Ottawa (FFH 341) conducted a routine Taiwan Strait transit November 1 (local time) through waters where high-seas freedoms of navigation and overflight apply in accordance with international law. The ships transited through a corridor in the Strait that is beyond the territorial sea of any coastal State. The transit was unremarkable, unprovocative, and consistent with international law. Rafael Peralta and Ottawa’s bilateral transit through the Taiwan Strait demonstrates the commitment of the United States and our allies and partners to a free and open Indo-Pacific. Cooperation like this represents the centerpiece of our approach to a secure and prosperous region where aircraft and ships of all nations may fly, sail and operate anywhere international law allows.
