The U.S. 7th Fleet announced that a Navy P-8A Poseidon conducted a flight through the Taiwan Strait on Wednesday, following the first talks between U.S. and Chinese defense chiefs since November 2022 aimed at easing regional tensions.
The patrol and reconnaissance plane completed the transit "in international airspace," according to a news release from the 7th Fleet.
"By operating within the Taiwan Strait in accordance with international law, the United States upholds the navigational rights and freedoms of all nations," the release said.
Although the strait, which is 160 kilometers (100 miles) wide and divides China from the self-governing island democracy of Taiwan, is in international waters, China considers the passage of foreign military aircraft and ships through it a challenge to its sovereignty. China claims Taiwan and threatens to defend it by force if necessary, despite U.S. military support for the island.
China had no immediate response to the report but has in the past issued stern protests and activated defenses in response to the passage of ships and military planes through the strait, particularly those from the U.S. China also regularly sends navy ships and warplanes into the strait and other areas around the island to wear down Taiwan's defenses and seek to intimidate its 23 million people, who firmly back their de facto independence.
"By operating within the Taiwan Strait in accordance with international law, the United States upholds the navigational rights and freedoms of all nations. The aircraft’s transit of the Taiwan Strait demonstrates the United States’ commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific. The United States military flies, sails and operates anywhere international law allows," the 7th Fleet statement said.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke with his Chinese counterpart, Adm. Dong Jun, on Tuesday in the latest U.S. effort to improve communications with the Chinese military and reduce the chances of a clash in the region.
It was the first time Austin has talked to Dong and the first time he has spoken at length with any Chinese counterpart since November 2022. The call, which lasted a bit more than an hour, came as Secretary of State Antony Blinken is expected to travel to China this month for talks.
Military-to-military contact stalled in August 2022 when Beijing suspended all such communication after then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan. China responded by firing missiles over Taiwan and staging a surge in military maneuvers, including what appeared to be a rehearsal of a naval and aerial blockade of the island.