Image taken from U.S. 7th Fleet Facebook Page
Taipei, May 9 (CNA) Taiwan's military was fully aware of an operation by the United States Navy on Wednesday that involved the passage of an warship through the Taiwan Strait, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) said Wednesday.
In a statement, the MND said the warship entered the Taiwan Strait from the north at 7 a.m. Wednesday, traveling southwards.
Throughout the transit, the Taiwanese military was closely monitoring the surrounding sea and airspace, and the situation remained normal, the defense ministry said.
According to a U.S. Navy press release on Wednesday, the missile destroyer USS Halsey of the 7th Fleet navigated through the waters of the Taiwan Strait on Wednesday in accordance with international law, exercising the rights of freedom of navigation and overflight beyond the territorial sea of any coastal state.
The passage of the USS Halsey through the Taiwan Strait demonstrated the U.S.' commitment to upholding the principles of freedom of navigation for all nations, the statement said.
No member of the international community should be intimidated or coerced into giving up their rights and freedoms, it added.
According to the statement, the U.S. military operates in accordance with international law in all permissible locations for flying, sailing and conducting operations.
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