US, Canadian naval vessels jointly sail through Taiwan Strait | NHK WORLD-JAPAN News

The United States and Canada say their naval vessels sailed through the Taiwan Strait together on Sunday.

The US Navy’s 7th Fleet said the destroyer USS Higgins and Royal Canadian Navy frigate HMCS Vancouver “conducted a routine Taiwan Strait transit.”

It said the ships sailed “through a high seas corridor in the Strait that is beyond the territorial sea of any coastal state. “

The 7th fleet said, “The United States rejects any assertion of sovereignty or jurisdiction that is inconsistent with freedoms of navigations, overflight, and other lawful uses of the sea and air.”

The Canadian Joint Operations Command said, “Our activities promote peace, resilience, and security in the Indo-Pacific.”

China’s Eastern Theater Command said in a statement that the action of the US and Canada will destroy peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. The command expressed its determination to defend China’s sovereignty and security as well as regional peace and stability.

The announcements by the US and Canada come a week after China held large-scale military drills in waters surrounding Taiwan.