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Jakarta –

American and Canadian warships passed through Taiwan Strait on a joint mission in the sensitive waters separating Taiwan from China. China’s Minister of Defense (Menhan), General Li Shangfu, reacted strongly to this.

AP reported Sunday (4/6/2023) General Li Shangfu said China has no problem with “peaceful passage”, but “we must prevent attempts to use freedom of navigation (patrol) , the way which is not dangerous, to direct the hegemony of navigation.”

Meanwhile, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin told the same forum on Saturday that Washington would continue to sail and fly over the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea to emphasize that the taiwan strait and the South China Sea is international waters, against Beijing’s territorial claims.

General Li said the United States and its allies had created a danger and suggested that the United States should focus on “the proper maintenance of its own airspace and territorial waters”.

“The best way for countries, especially their warships and fighter jets, is not to conduct closures around other countries’ territorial areas,” Gen. Li said, through an interpreter.

“What is the purpose of going there? In China, we always say: “mind your own business”.

In his speech, General Li reiterated his claims on Taiwan, calling it “the essence of our core interests”.

General Li accused the United States and other countries of “interfering in China’s internal affairs” by providing Taiwan with defense support and training and making high-level diplomatic visits.

“China remains committed to the path of peaceful development, but we will never hesitate to uphold our legitimate rights and interests, let alone sacrifice the nation’s core interests,” he said.

Previously, US and Canadian warships passed through the Taiwan Strait on Saturday (6/3), on a joint mission in the sensitive waters separating Taiwan from China.

The Chinese government claims Taiwan as its territory and has vowed to take it one day, by force if necessary. In recent years, China has stepped up military and political pressure on the island.

Last week, China’s aircraft carrier Shandong led two more ships through the 180-kilometre (112-mile) wide Taiwan Strait in a show of force after Beijing conducted air and naval drills around Taiwan in april.

The U.S. 7th Fleet announced on Saturday that its destroyer USS Chung-Hoon and the Royal Canadian Navy’s HMCS Montreal “conducted a routine transit of the Taiwan Strait on June 3 (local time) through waters where freedom of navigation and overflight applies in accordance with international law.

“Chung-Hoon’s and Montreal’s bilateral transits across the Taiwan Strait demonstrate the commitment of the United States and our allies and partners to a free and open Indo-Pacific,” the U.S. Navy said.

United States Navy ships frequently navigate the strait, but such missions are rare with ships from other nations. The last joint voyage of US-Canadian military ships through the Taiwan Strait was in September 2022.

In a tweet, the Canadian military confirmed the trip, saying the United States and Canada were “operational partners for peace and security in the region.”

Watch the video: Moments of Chinese fighter jets maneuvering aggressively near US reconnaissance planes

(yld/knv)