China Signals Respect for Navigation Rights, Rebukes Provocations

(MENAFN) China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun stated on Friday that the country "respects" the legitimate navigation rights of all nations within the Taiwan Strait. This remark followed last week’s transit of a Japanese warship through the same waters.

Speaking at a press briefing in Beijing, Guo emphasized, “While China respects the lawful navigation rights of all countries in the relevant waters of the Taiwan Straits, it resolutely opposes any country taking provocative actions in the name of 'freedom of navigation' and threatening China's sovereignty and security.”

The official’s comments came in response to inquiries about Taiwan’s claim that 46 Chinese military aircraft had flown across the Taiwan Strait within a 24-hour period, questioning whether this military activity was connected to the Japanese warship’s passage.

Last week, the Japanese destroyer Takanami sailed through the Taiwan Strait, shortly after a Chinese fighter jet made a dangerously close approach to a Japanese patrol plane over the Pacific Ocean. This incident followed Japan’s announcement of spotting two Chinese aircraft carriers operating in the western Pacific for the first time.

In a separate update on Friday, Taiwan’s Defense Ministry reported detecting 24 sorties by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) around the island since 8:30 a.m. local time (0030 GMT). It further noted that 15 of these aircraft crossed the median line dividing the Taiwan Strait.

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