US, Canada warships pass through Taiwan Strait

TAIPEI

A U.S. and a Canadian warship have passed through waters separating Taiwan and China, a week after Beijing held large-scale military drills in the sensitive passage.

The United States and its allies regularly cross through the 180-kilometer Taiwan Strait to reinforce its status as an international waterway, angering Beijing.

China's Communist Party has never ruled Taiwan, but it claims the island as part of its territory and has said it will not renounce the use of force to bring it under its control.

"The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Higgins [DDG 76] and Royal Canadian Navy Halifax-class frigate HMCS Vancouver [FFH 331] conducted a routine Taiwan Strait transit on Oct. 20," the U.S. Navy's 7th Fleet said in a statement.

"Higgins and Vancouver's transit through the Taiwan Strait demonstrated the United States' and Canada's commitment to upholding freedom of navigation for all nations as a principle."

China said on Monday that the U.S. and Canadian actions had disrupted "peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait."

Taiwan's Defense Ministry said on Monday the U.S. and Canadian ships travelled "from south to north" of the strait and the situation in the surrounding sea and airspace "remained normal."

Beijing sent a record number of military aircraft as well as warships and coast guard vessels to encircle Taiwan on Oct. 14 in the fourth round of major drills in just over two years.