US Sends Warships Through Taiwan Strait In First Transit Since Pelosi Visit

The U.S. sent two warships through the Taiwan Strait on Sunday for the first time since House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to the island. 

According to the U.S. 7th Fleet, Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruisers USS Antietam (C.G. 54) and USS Chancellorsville (C.G. 62) have conducted a routine Taiwan Strait transit. 

These ships transited through a corridor in the Strait beyond any coastal state's territorial sea. 

"The ship's transit through the Taiwan Strait demonstrates the United States' commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific," the Fleet's commander said. 

China has made its displeasure clear about Taiwan having contacts with foreign governments, and especially with U.S. officials. 

Also Read: US Lawmakers Visit Taiwan Days After Pelosi Trip, Risking Increased Tensions With China

The Chinese military's Eastern Theater Command said it was monitoring the two ships, maintaining a high alert, and was "ready to thwart any provocation."

Former editor of the Communist Party's Global Times Hu Xijin wrote on Twitter that Sunday's transit was the U.S. military's "new provocation." 

"The resolution of Taiwan question should speed up to eliminate a leverage of external forces in undermining China's rise," he added. 

After Pelosi's recent visit to Taiwan, China responded by sending a few missiles, warships, and warplanes into the seas and skies around Taiwan for several days. 

The Biden administration has vowed to continue such routine transits after China responded to Pelosi's trip. 

Earlier this month, China's ambassador to Washington, Qin Gang, called on the U.S. to refrain from sailing naval vessels through the Taiwan Strait. 

Photo: U.S. 7th Fleet