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Updated July 20th, 2022 at 13:34 IST

China lambasts passage of US warship through Taiwan Strait; calls it 'Destroyer of Peace'

The 'routine' transit of a US destroyer through the Taiwan Strait has enraged China, and Beijing has slammed Washington as a "disruptor" of peace and stability.

Reported by: Aparna Shandilya
China
Image: AP/Twitter | Image:self
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The 'routine' transit of a US destroyer through the Taiwan Strait has enraged China, and Beijing has slammed Washington as a "disruptor" of peace and stability. According to a PLA spokesperson, the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) monitored a US destroyer as it went through the Taiwan Straits on July 20.

The USS Benfold, a guided-missile destroyer, transited the strait on July 19 as part of a "freedom of navigation" mission, according to the US. Xinhua news agency reported that senior colonel Shi Yi stated that the PLA Eastern Theater Command is always on high alert and is fully prepared to safeguard Chinese sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Despite China's repeated warnings, the US conducted two such operations in the South China Sea last week. When the US vessel sailed near the Xisha Islands last Wednesday, the PLA claimed it forced it away. The People's Liberation Army's Eastern Theatre Command stated in a statement that its personnel had trailed and warned the ship throughout.

"The frequent provocations and showing off by the United States fully demonstrate that the United States is a destroyer of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and a maker of security risks in the Taiwan Strait," the statement read.

China-US strained relations 

The US has been making similar journeys roughly once a month, which has enraged China, which sees them as a gesture of support for Taiwan, the democratically ruled island that Beijing regards as Chinese territory. Moreover, on July 18, China requested the United States to terminate an estimated $108 million sale of military-technical assistance to Taiwan (over Rs 860 crore).

Furthermore, the Chinese government advised the United States not to "play with fire" on the Taiwan issue. Wang Wenbin, a foreign ministry spokesperson, indicated during a routine press conference that Beijing is adamantly opposed to US arms shipments to Taiwan and urged Washington to reject the plan.

Notably, despite the Taiwan's self-government for more than seven decades, China claimed total sovereignty over it. Taiwan, on the other hand, has fought Chinese aggression by expanding strategic connections with democracies, mainly the US, which China routinely opposes.

Image: AP/Twitter

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Published July 20th, 2022 at 13:34 IST

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