Taiwan Strait international waterway, Taipei says in rebuff to China

TAIPEI • The Taiwan Strait is an international waterway and Taiwan's government supports United States warships transiting it, the island's Foreign Ministry said yesterday, rebuffing China's claims to exercise sovereignty over the strategic passage.

The narrow strait has been a frequent source of military tension since the defeated Kuomintang forces fled to Taiwan in 1949 after losing a civil war with the communists, who established the People's Republic of China.

In recent years, US warships, and on occasion those from allied nations such as Britain, Canada and Australia, have sailed through the strait, drawing Beijing's anger.

On Monday, China's Foreign Ministry said the country "has sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction over the Taiwan Strait".

"It is a false claim when certain countries call the Taiwan Strait 'international waters' in order to find a pretext for manipulating issues related to Taiwan and threatening China's sovereignty and security," said Mr Wang Wenbin, a spokesman for China's Foreign Ministry.

Chinese officials have made such remarks repeatedly in meetings with their US counterparts in recent months, according to a source familiar with the situation.

China regards Taiwan as a renegade province awaiting reunification with the mainland, by force if necessary.

In Taipei, Taiwan Foreign Ministry spokesman Joanne Ou said such comments were a "fallacy".

"The Taiwan Strait is international waters, and the waters outside our territorial waters are subject to the 'freedom of the high seas' principle of international law," she told reporters.

Taiwan has always respected the actions of foreign ships in the Taiwan Strait that comply with international law, including innocent passage, Ms Ou said.

"We understand and support the US freedom of navigation missions' contribution to promoting regional peace and stability."

Taiwan's government says only Taiwan's people can decide their own future.

"China... blatantly violates Taiwan's sovereignty and damages international maritime order to endanger regional peace and stability," Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party said in a statement.

In March, China's Shandong aircraft carrier and a US destroyer transited through the strait, shortly before Chinese President Xi Jinping issued a warning to US President Joe Biden that ties could suffer if there was a "mishandling" of Taiwan's status.

REUTERS, BLOOMBERG