A Chinese aircraft carrier and a US warship sailed across the Taiwan Strait that separates the island from mainland China today, the US and Taiwanese defense ministries said ahead of a long-awaited telephone conversation between US President Joe Baido Shineo Baideon Jinping.
In a laconic message to the French Agency, the Taiwanese Ministry of Defense confirmed that the Chinese aircraft carrier Shandong had sailed across the Strait.
“We emphasize that we have been notified and are monitoring all aircraft carriers and ships of the People’s Liberation Army (s.s. of China) sailing in the Strait area,” he added.
The Pentagon also confirmed that an American destroyer had crossed the Strait today.
The United States, Taiwan’s main ally, considers the Strait to be an international naval zone and has sent warships to the region to ensure “free navigation.”
The announcement by the Taiwanese ministry came as Xi Jinping’s telephone conversation with Joe Biden, during which the former said that military conflicts between states “are not in anyone’s interest”.
It is not uncommon for warships to sail the Strait of Taiwan. Shandong was also there in December 2020, a day after a US warship passed. The same aircraft carrier sailed the Strait in December 2019, a few weeks before the elections in Taiwan.
According to Chinese media, Xi Jinping told Biden that the Taiwan issue should be dealt with “properly” to avoid a negative impact on relations between the two countries. “Some people in the United States are sending the wrong message to the pro-independence forces in Taiwan and that is very dangerous. If the Taiwan issue is not addressed properly, it will have a devastating effect on the relationship between the two countries,” Xi said.
“We hope that the American side will pay due attention to this issue,” he added.
During Biden’s presidency, Washington approved at least two arms sales deals in Taiwan to bolster the island’s anti-aircraft and anti-missile systems. Beijing says the support undermines China’s relations with the United States.
SOURCE: AMPE
Source: Capital
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