Chinese military flays passage of US warship in Taiwan Strait
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The USS Sampson guided-missile destroyer has passed through the Taiwan Strait amid Chinese threats against the US meddling in the region's stability.
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Chinese military flays passage of US warship in Taiwan Strait.
The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) on Wednesday condemned the transit of the USS Sampson guided-missile destroyer through the Taiwan Strait, accusing the United States of undermining stability in the region.
The US warship sailed through the Taiwan Strait on Tuesday and "hyped it [the passage] up publicly," according to the PLA.
"The US has been frequently carrying out provocative acts to send wrong signals to 'Taiwan Independence' forces, deliberately undermining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. China is firmly opposed to this," PLA Eastern Theater Command Spokesperson Shi Yi said in a statement.
According to the statement, PLA Eastern Theater Command troops observed and monitored the US destroyer throughout its journey.
In the late 1980s, the Chinese mainland and the island reestablished business and informal relations. Today, Beijing rejects any formal communication between foreign countries and Taiwan, believing that Chinese sovereignty over it is unassailable as per the One-China principle.
Earlier, Beijing firmly opposed any official contact between the US and Taiwan, after US congressmen visited Taiwan
"On April 15, the Chinese People's Liberation Army's Eastern Theater Command sent warships, bombers, fighter jets, and other forces to organize multi-purpose combat patrols and conduct sea and air exercises in the East China Sea and around the island of Taiwan," the command said in a statement.
According to the statement, these actions were organized in response to "recent erroneous US signals regarding the Taiwan issue," and are absolutely useless and very dangerous.
"The one who plays with fire is sure to burn themselves," the statement added.
