US Coast Guard Ship Transits Taiwan Strait Amid China Tensions

The Arleigh-Burke class guided-missile destroyer USS Kidd (DDG 100) transits the Taiwan Strait during a routine transit on Aug. 27, 2021. U.S. Navy / file/ AFP

A U.S. coast guard ship transited the Taiwan Strait after Secretary of State Antony Blinken returned from his two-day trip to Beijing, a move the Chinese coast guard claimed has sparked “public speculation.”

The legend-class coast guard cutter Stratton conducted “a routine Taiwan Strait transit on June 20” to demonstrate the U.S. commitment to “a free and open Indo-Pacific,” the U.S. 7th Fleet stated.

“The ship transited through a corridor in the Strait that is beyond the territorial sea of any coastal State,” it stated. “The United States military flies, sails, and operates anywhere international law allows.”

Taiwan’s Defense Ministry stated that its military monitored the surrounding sea and airspace during the U.S. transit and concluded that “the situation was normal.” The U.S. ship sailed through the strait from south to north.

China responded by sending its coast guard ships to track the U.S. ship. The Chinese communist regime vowed on June 22 to “resolutely safeguard national sovereignty, security, and maritime rights and interests.”

China Flies 29 Warplanes Near Taiwan

Some 29 Chinese aircraft flew near Taiwan, and 10 Chinese navy vessels were spotted surrounding the self-ruling island from June 21 to June 22, according to Taiwan’s Defense Ministry.

The ministry stated that four of the Chinese aircraft were spotted entering Taiwan’s southwest and southeast air defense identification zone, prompting Taiwan to scramble aircraft and vessels in response.

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which has never renounced the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control, has stepped up military activities near the island to force it to accept Chinese sovereignty.

The Stratton’s transit came just a day after Blinken and Chinese leader Xi Jinping had a “robust conversation” in Beijing on June 19, during which both sides agreed to stabilize the tense relations between the two powers.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken (L) attends a meeting with China's leader Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on June 19, 2023. Leah Millis/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

While Blinken and Xi both expressed a willingness to continue the communication, there’s little indication that the Chinese regime is prepared to bend from its positions on issues such as Taiwan.

Blinken said at a June 19 press meeting that the United States will continue to advocate its “One China” policy.

“We do not support Taiwan independence. We remain opposed to any unilateral changes to the status quo by either side. We continue to expect the peaceful resolution to cross-state differences,” he said.

Biden Calls Xi Dictator

However, it appears that President Joe Biden sparked another rift by referring to Xi as a “dictator” shortly after Blinken returned from his trip to Beijing.

Biden said the recent incident with the Chinese spy balloon, which was shot down by the U.S. military after having transited over the United States, had caused “great embarrassment” for Xi.

“The reason why Xi Jinping got very upset in terms of when I shot that balloon down with two box cars full of spy equipment in it was he didn’t know it was there,” Biden said at a fundraiser event in California.

“That’s a great embarrassment for dictators. When they didn’t know what happened. That wasn’t supposed to be going where it was. It was blown off course.”

President Joe Biden delivers remarks during a joint press conference with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the White House on June 22, 2023. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

He later dismissed concerns about the potential complications of his remarks on improving relations with China, saying during a June 22 press conference, “I don’t think it’s had any real consequence.”

The CCP issued a démarche expressing its discontent to the U.S. ambassador in response to Biden’s remarks, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning condemned the president’s remarks, saying that they “seriously violate diplomatic protocol” and that they “severely infringe on China’s political dignity.”

“It is a blatant political provocation,” Mao said, according to the Associated Press.

Hannah Ng, Tiffany Meier, and Reuters contributed to this report.