China criticizes US Navy patrol aircraft's transit of Taiwan Strait
The US Navy said it has flown a patrol aircraft through the Taiwan Strait, a move criticized by China. The Navy's 7th Fleet said a P-8A Poseidon transited the Taiwan Strait on Thursday. It said by operating within the strait "in accordance with international law, the United States upholds the navigational rights and freedoms of all nations." The aircraft's passage "demonstrates the United States' commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific," it said. The Chinese military's Eastern Theater Command responded to the flight on Chinese social media. A spokesperson for the command issued a statement criticizing the US Navy for publicly hyping the incident.
The spokesperson said that the Eastern Theater Command "organized fighter planes to monitor the passage of the US aircraft and dealt with them in accordance with laws and regulations." The official added that troops in the theater "remain on high alert at all times and resolutely safeguard national sovereignty and security as well as regional peace and stability."
Source: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20231013_02/