US Navy Flies Aircraft Through the Taiwan Strait a Day After US–China Defense Chiefs Hold Rare Talks

A U.S. P-8A Poseidon reconaissance plane flies near Chinese structures and buildings on the man-made Fiery Cross Reef at the Spratlys group of islands in the South China Sea, on March 20, 2022. Aaron Favila/AP Photo

TAIPEI, Taiwan—The U.S. 7th Fleet said a Navy P-8A Poseidon flew through the Taiwan Strait on Wednesday, a day after U.S. and Chinese defense chiefs held their first talks since November 2022 in an effort to reduce regional tensions.

The patrol and reconnaissance plane “transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,” the 7th Fleet said in a news release.