Taipei, Taiwan — The U.S. 7th Fleet said a Navy P-8A Poseidon flew through the Taiwan Strait on Wednesday, a day after the U.S. and Chinese defense chiefs held their first talks since November 2022 in an effort to ease regional tensions.
The patrol and reconnaissance aircraft “crossed the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,” the 7th Fleet said in a news release.
“By operating in the Taiwan Strait in accordance with international law, the United States upholds the navigation rights and freedoms of all nations,” the press release said.
Although the critical 100-mile-wide strait separating China from the self-governing island democracy is international waters, China views the passage of foreign military aircraft and ships through it as a challenge to its sovereignty. China claims the island of Taiwan and threatens to defend it with force if necessary, despite American military support for the island.
China did not immediately respond to the report, but has in the past issued stern protests and activated defense mechanisms in response to the passage of ships and military aircraft through the straight, especially those from the US. China also regularly sends naval vessels and warplanes into the straits and other areas around the island to weaken Taiwan’s defenses and intimidate the 23 million people who firmly support their de facto independence.
“By operating in the Taiwan Strait in accordance with international law, the United States upholds the navigation rights and freedoms of all nations. The plane’s passage through the Taiwan Strait demonstrates the United States’ commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific. The U.S. military flies, sails and operates wherever international law permits,” the 7th Fleet statement said.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke Tuesday with his Chinese counterpart Adm. Dong Jun on the latest US effort to improve communications with the Chinese military and reduce the chance of a clash in the region.
It was the first time Austin spoke with Dong and the first time he has spoken at length with a Chinese colleague since November 2022. The call, which lasted just over an hour, came as Secretary of State Antony Blinken is expected to travel. to China this month for talks.
Military-to-military contact came to a standstill in August 2022, when Beijing suspended all such communications after then-Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan. China responded by firing missiles over Taiwan and carrying out a wave of military maneuvers, including what appeared to be a rehearsal of a naval and air blockade of the island.
