U.S. identifies warship that sailed through Taiwan Strait
ROC Central News Agency
08/19/2020 05:25 PM
Taipei, Aug. 19 (CNA) A U.S. warship that recently sailed through the Taiwan Strait has been identified as the USS Mustin, a destroyer, according to a Facebook post by the U.S. Seventh Fleet on Wednesday.
The post reads: "USS Mustin (DDG 89) conducted a transit from the East China Sea through the Taiwan Strait demonstrating the U.S. commitment to a #FreeAndOpenIndoPacific. Mustin is forward-deployed to the U.S. 7th Fleet supporting security and stability in the region."
The post includes four photographs showing the warship and its crew, captioned that they were taken on Wednesday, while the ship was passing through the strait.
In a separate press release issued Monday, the U.S. Seventh Fleet said the USS Mustin, an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer, made the transit through the strait after joining Japan's Akizuki-class destroyer the JS Suzutsuki (DD 117) in conducting integrated operations in the East China Sea on Aug. 15.
"Throughout their cooperation, Suzutsuki and Mustin operated and trained together conducting integrated helicopter operations and multi-domain tactical training, as well as communication and formation drills," the press release said.
Commenting on the passage, Taiwan's military announced early Wednesday that a U.S. warship had sailed through the strait heading south, but it did not identify the vessel, nor did it say when the passage took place.
Also Wednesday, Chinese state media released a video clip showing People's Liberation Army (PLA) naval vessels conducting missile-firing drills in the East China Sea but did not say when the exercises took place.
It also did not say if the drill was part of PLA Eastern Theater Command military exercises near the strait and surrounding waters announced by command spokesman, Senior Col. Zhang Chunhui (張春暉), on Aug. 13.
Asked to comment on the Chinese drill, Taiwan's military spokesman Shih Shun-wen (史順文) said Wednesday that the nation's armed forces have a full grasp of the situation and have prepared contingency measures to protect the nation's security.
"The Chinese government has never renounced the use of force against Taiwan and we are closely monitoring the latest developments in the region. We will continue to boost our defense capability," he added.
Shih declined to comment on a New York Times report dated Aug. 17 that quoted unnamed sources as saying that the U.S. could send warships on port calls at Taiwanese ports or allow visits by U.S. military officers in uniform.
The report also said that some U.S. administration officials said recent U.S. arm sales and increased transits by U.S. warships through the strait, "fall short of what Washington needs to do" as the tension between the U.S. and China continues to escalate.
It said Washington must make it clear to Beijing and Taipei that it will defend Taiwan if the PLA tries an invasion.
"The administration is unlikely to try to station troops in Taiwan. But a port call is possible, as are visits by officers in uniform and training programs in Taiwan, U.S. officials said," according to the report.
(By Chen Yun-yu and Joseph Yeh)
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