SpaceWar.com - Your World At War
China deploys forces as US aircraft flies over Taiwan Strait
Taipei, Nov 26 (AFP) Nov 26, 2024
Beijing said Tuesday it deployed air and naval forces to monitor a US military plane as it flew over politically sensitive waters separating China and Taiwan.

The United States and its allies regularly cross through the 180-kilometre (112-mile) Taiwan Strait, either by ship or aircraft, to reinforce the international status of the waterway, angering Beijing.

China considers Taiwan to be part of its territory and claims jurisdiction over the body of water separating the two.

To assert its claims, Beijing regularly deploys fighter jets and warships around the island, while opposing transits by military ships and aircraft belonging to the United States and its allies.

"A US Navy P-8A Poseidon transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace on Nov. 26, 2024 (local time)," the US Navy's 7th Fleet said in a statement.

"The aircraft's transit of the Taiwan Strait demonstrates the United States' commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific."

China said it had monitored the aircraft and condemned the flight for being "openly hyped".

"US remarks distort legal principles, confuse the public and mislead international perception," said Cao Jun, a senior colonel and spokesman for China's Eastern Theatre Air Force, in a statement.

Beijing had "organised naval and air forces to monitor and guard the trajectory of the US aircraft and effectively responded and dealt with it", Cao added.

During a previous transit by a US P-8A Poseidon in September, the Chinese military tailed the aircraft.

The United States is Taiwan's most important security partner, but like most other countries it does not have official diplomatic relations with Taipei.

Taiwan's defence ministry said Tuesday that the US P-8A aircraft flew from south to north through the Taiwan Strait in the morning.

The Taiwan military "fully monitored the movements in the surrounding sea and airspace, and the situation remained normal," the ministry said in a statement.


ADVERTISEMENT




Space News from SpaceDaily.com
Trump-Musk showdown threatens US space plans
Japanese company aborts Moon mission after assumed crash-landing
Renowned Mars expert says Trump-Musk axis risks dooming mission

24/7 Energy News Coverage
'No doubt' Canadian firm will be first to extract deep sea minerals: CEO
Tabletop particle blaster: How tiny nozzles and lasers could replace giant accelerators
Set it and forget it: Autonomous structures can be programmed to jump days in advance

Military Space News, Nuclear Weapons, Missile Defense
Iran FM warns Europe against 'strategic mistake' at IAEA; Iran obtained 'sensitive' Israeli intel
DOD is investigating Hegseth's staffers over Houthi-strikes chats
Three dead as Ukraine hit with third-straight day of overnight attacks

24/7 News Coverage
Ailing Baltic Sea in need of urgent attention
Money, mining and marine parks: The big issues at UN ocean summit
Solar power farms would impact less than 1 percent of Arkansas' ag land



All rights reserved. Copyright Agence France-Presse. Sections of the information displayed on this page (dispatches, photographs, logos) are protected by intellectual property rights owned by Agence France-Presse. As a consequence, you may not copy, reproduce, modify, transmit, publish, display or in any way commercially exploit any of the content of this section without the prior written consent of Agence France-Presse.