(RepublicanJournal.org) – The United States and Canada recently sent warships along the Taiwan Strait in an ongoing joint effort to demonstrate the nearby island nation’s right to autonomy and freedom. The operation didn’t break any international laws, and the US has made similar moves through the waterway many times before. Still, China believes that the gesture crosses a line and only begs for trouble.
The US 7th Fleet, which is composed of 20,000 Marines and other personnel, posted about the November 1 transit on X, formerly Twitter. It stated that the USS Rafael Peralta, an Arleigh Burke-class DDG 115 destroyer, conducted a routine passage through the strait alongside the HMCS Ottawa, a Royal Canadian Navy Halifax-class FFH 341 frigate. The Canadian Armed Forces Operations shared a similar post, adding that the move was an effort to push “peace, resilience and security” in the region.
China views the operation from a vastly different perspective, insisting that American forces are poking the bear. China has laid claim to Taiwan since 1949. The larger foreign power has grown increasingly aggressive in response to the small island nation’s leaders attempting to assert their sovereignty. Beijing has sent waves of fighter jets over the region, at times moving threateningly close to Taiwan’s shores.
Newsweek reports that Lieutenant General He Lei of the People’s Liberation Army said the Chinese people would support an attack on Taiwan. The foreign military leader made the statement during an event at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore that took place between October 29 and October 31. He insisted the move would be “just and legitimate,” adding that it would be in the name of “reunification.”
China blames the US, in part, for the rift, claiming Taiwan’s relationship with the West has undermined its authority over the island. Concerns are that a military conflict between China and Taiwan could trigger a war between the Asian superpower and the United States.
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