US warships pass through politically sensitive Taiwan Strait

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press


Updated 1:26 pm CDT, Monday, October 22, 2018

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon says two U.S. Navy warships have passed through the politically sensitive Taiwan Strait without incident.

The 100 mile-wide (160 kilometer-wide) strait divides the island nation from mainland China. Beijing considers Taiwan a breakaway Chinese province and objects to U.S. defense support for self-governing Taiwan.

A Pentagon spokesman, Col. Rob Manning, says the USS Curtis Wilbur and the USS Antietam sailed in international waters in what he calls a routine transit Monday. The Curtis Wilbur is a destroyer. The Antietam is a cruiser.

Another Pentagon spokesman, Lt. Col. Chris Logan, says the most recent previous U.S. Navy transit of the Taiwan Strait was in July.

Read more: https://www.chron.com/news/politics/article/US-warships-pass-through-politically-sensitive-13326734.php

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(Short article, no more at link.)

[zipplewrath]

1. Colonial version of picket fences

Ya know those picket fence forces you've seen of the "wild west"? Wel, that's roughly what you're seeing. They are economic "out posts" until a commercial ship is allowed to pass without warship escort. Read about the escort of commercial ships prior to both WWI and WWII.

[sandensea]

2. Cheeto seems to be trying to provoke something with China

And just before the mid-terms - imagine that.