China said that it has closely monitored a US warship, passing through the Taiwan Strait, in a statement on Friday. This comes within a week, since Taiwan's pro-democracy politician Tsai Ing-wen, won a landslide victory in country's Presidential election.
Standing up to Beijing, she raised a prominent issue in her election campaign. Unlike China, Taiwan is a thriving democracy and has its own political and economic system. China considers it as its territory, to be taken back, by force, if needed.
Chinese military closely followed and monitored a US warship
Geng Shuang, spokesperson of China's Foreign Ministry, said on Friday that the Chinese military closely followed and monitored the US warship, Reuters reported. Taiwan Strait is a narrow passage of waterbody separating Taiwan from mainland China.
China further urged the US to abide by the 'one China' principle, according to which there is only one sovereign state under the name 'China', instead of two, viz the People's Republic of China (PRC) and the Republic of China (commonly known as Taiwan or Chinese Taipei).
China also urged the United States to deal with Taiwan-related matters in a way that does not undermine China-US relations or stability in the region, Geng told reporters during a daily briefing.
Tsai Ing-wen won a landslide victory in the county's presidential election
Such a statement comes within a week since the pro-independence Taiwanese President, Tsai Ing-wen, won a landslide victory in the county's Presidential election. In her campaign, she focused heavily on the rising threat from Beijing and greater Taiwan-US relations. In response to China's statement, Taiwan's Defense Ministry responded that the warship's passage was a part of a general navigation mission.
Similarly, Joe Keiley, a spokesman for the US 7th Fleet, said that the USS Shiloh conducted a "routine Taiwan Strait transit" in a demonstration of "the US commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific". "The US Navy will continue to fly, sail and operate anywhere international law allows," he said. China claims the self-governed Taiwan as part of its territory and has vowed to bring the island under its control, by force if necessary.
