US reconnaissance plane transits Taiwan Strait

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) – A US maritime patrol and reconnaissance airplane transited Taiwan Strait early on Monday.

“A US Navy P-8A Poseidon transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace on Feb. 27, 2023 (local time),” US 7th Fleet Command said in a statement.

It added the US “will continue to fly, sail, and operate anywhere international law allows including within the Taiwan Strait.”

“By operating within the Taiwan Strait in accordance with international law, the US upholds the navigational rights and freedoms of all nations,” the command said.

Meanwhile, Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said four Chinese aircraft and three Naval vessels were detected around the island nation.

The island’s armed forces “monitored the situation and tasked CAP (combat air patrol) aircraft, Navy vessels and land-based missile systems to respond to these activities.”

It added no Chinese aircraft crossed the middle line of the Taiwan Strait nor entered Taiwan’s southwestern air defense identification zone.

Beijing recognizes neither of the two as China considers Taiwan as its “breakaway province” while Taipei has insisted on its independence since 1949.