Warships from the US and Canada sailed through the Taiwan Strait on Sunday, a week after China held military exercise around Taiwan, reported Taiwan News newspaper. The voyage of the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Higgins and Royal Canadian Navy Halifax-class frigate HMCS Vancouver demonstrated America and Canada's commitment to ensuring freedom of navigation for all. A statement by the US Navy Seventh Fleet said, "Where high-seas freedom of navigation and overflight apply in accordance with international law," adding that the voyage was outside any nation's maritime border. "The US rejects any assertion of sovereignty or jurisdiction that is inconsistent with freedoms of navigations, overflight, and other lawful uses of the sea and air," the fleet said, according to the report. The passage follows in the wake of China's one-day "Joint Sword-2024B" military exercise around Taiwan on Oct. 14, where it focused on sea-air combat readiness and tested joint operations capabilities. The aircr aft carrier Liaoning also led a strike group through the Bashi Channel between Taiwan and the Philippines into the West Pacific, more than 30 countries including the US, Japan, the UK, France, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Lithuania, and South Korea spoke out against the drills. Additionally, China criticized the sailing of the US destroyer Higgins and the Canadian frigate Vancouver through the Taiwan Strait, which China considers its internal strait. China remains on high alert to defend its sovereignty over the island and the strait, seeing the crossings as undermining the peace and stability there. Source: Kuwait News Agency
