China tracks U.S. Navy transit through Taiwan Strait
Feb. 12 (UPI) -- The U.S. Navy sent two vessels to transit the Taiwan Strait for the first time since President Donald Trump took office, and China tracked their progress through the disputed seaway.
The two vessels are the destroyer USS Ralph Johnson and the survey ship USNS Bowditch, which sailed through the Taiwan Strait on a north-to-south voyage lasting from Monday through Wednesday, USNI News reported.
The Johnson is an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer while the Bowditch is a Pathfinder-class survey vessel.
"Ships transit between the East China Sea and the South China Sea via the Taiwan Strait and have done so for many years," Navy Commander Matthew, a spokesman for the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, said Wednesday in a statement.
"The transit occurred through a corridor in the Taiwan Strait that is beyond any coastal state's territorial seas," Comer said. "Within this corridor, all nations enjoy high-seas freedom of navigation, overflight and other internationally lawful uses of the sea related to these freedoms."
The Chinese Army, Navy and Air Force tracked the two U.S. Navy vessels during their three-day voyage.
"The U.S.'s actions sent the wrong signals and increased security risks," China's People's Liberation Army spokesman Capt. Li Xi said in a statement.
"The troops of the Chinese PLA Eastern Theater Command remain on high alert and all times to resolutely safeguard China's sovereignty and security as well as regional peace and stability," Xi said.
China routinely tracks U.S. Navy transits through the Taiwan Strait, which last occurred in October when the USS Higgins and Canadian frigate HMCS Vancouver undertook the voyage.
China has laid claim to the Taiwan Strait and Taiwan, which it considers to be part of China's sovereign territory.
The Taiwan Strait spans 111 miles and is considered an international waterway.
The U.S. Navy and naval forces of allied nations commonly traverse the strait to challenge China's territorial claims and affirm its status as an international waterway controlled by no nation.
China also routinely conducts military drills and overflights near Taiwan, and Chinese officials have declared their intent to re-unify with Taiwan by 2047.
The United States and Taiwan are closely allied via the Taiwan Relations Act, which enables the United States to provide Taiwan with arms to defend the island nation and aggression from China or other nations.
Former President Joe Biden repeatedly said the United States would intervene militarily if China were to attack Taiwan.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
14 minutes ago
- Yahoo
New Jersey governor's race is set as Mikie Sherrill and Jack Ciattarelli win their primaries
Democratic Rep. Mikie Sherrill and Republican Jack Ciattarelli have won their parties' primaries for governor in New Jersey, NBC News projects, setting up one of the most closely watched races of the year. New Jersey is one of two states with governor's races this year, and the contest will be an early sign of how voters are responding to President Donald Trump's second term. Sherrill beat out five other Democrats for her party's nod, pitching herself as the most electable candidate — after her party struggled in the state last year compared with other recent presidential elections — and as a Democrat willing to stand up to Trump. She also leaned heavily on her background as a former Navy helicopter pilot and on criticism of Trump. "It's going to take a strong voice to cut through the noise from Washington and deliver for the people. So I stand here tonight doing just that. And as a mom of four teenagers, you guys know I'm not going to put up with the incompetent, whiny nonsense coming from aggrieved MAGA Republicans,' Sherrill told her supporters Tuesday at a victory rally. 'You probably can't do better than to quote George Washington at this moment: Fix the bayonets, I'm resolved to take Trenton,' Sherrill added. Ciattarelli, who had Trump's endorsement in the primary, defeated four other Republicans for the nomination in which he also appealed to voters' desire for electability, casting himself as the Trump ally best positioned to win the Democratic-leaning state in November. Ciattarelli came close in 2021 to defeating Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy, who cannot run for re-election because of term limits. And during his victory speech, he panned Sherrill as "Phil Murphy 2.0" and pitched a vision for an inclusive GOP that would buck years of Democratic control in the state. "We made a strong statement about what the New Jersey Republican Party stands for: A party open to anyone and everyone who is willing to work hard and play by the rules; a party of Jersey values and common sense policies; a party that believes our best days are ahead of us if, if we have the courage to think big and act boldly," Ciattarelli said. The Democratic primary featured Sherrill and five other prominent Democrats, including Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop, Rep. Josh Gottheimer, teachers union president Sean Spiller and former state Senate President Steve Sweeney. While Sherrill, the only woman in the field, was a persistent leader in limited public polling, victory was far from certain as millions of dollars flooded the New Jersey airwaves. Sherrill was winning more than one-third support with most of the expected Democratic vote tallied, holding a double-digit lead over Fulop, the next-closest Democrat. Sherrill showed early signs of strength in crucial Essex County, which is home to the most registered Democrats. The Essex County Democrats endorsed her, but the county also includes Newark, which Baraka leads. Sherrill won around 43% of the mail-in vote, followed by Baraka at 24%, Fulop at 17%, Gottheimer at 10%, Spiller at 5% and Sweeney at 1%. Sherrill proved to be a strong fundraiser, and she did have help from an aligned outside group, One Giant Leap PAC, which launched ads boosting her in the final weeks of the race. Sherrill also racked up support from the most county Democratic parties, prompting some critics to tie her to the state's Democratic political machine. Sherrill touted her military service and her success flipping a longtime Republican House district in 2018 as she made her case to primary voters. While each of the candidates presented a different path forward for the party, Sherrill said the 'obvious' path is to 'effectively govern.' 'Ruthless competence is what people in New Jersey want to see in government,' Sherrill told NBC News before she marched in the Asbury Park Pride parade. 'And that's what I've always provided, and that's what I think stands in stark contrast to the most incompetent federal government we've probably ever seen in this nation.' Ciattarelli leaned on his endorsement from Trump in the final weeks of the race, in which he faced former radio host Bill Spadea, state Sen. Jon Bramnick, former Englewood Cliffs Mayor Mario Kranjac and contractor Justin Barbera. Ciattarelli trounced his opponents, winning more than two-thirds support with most of the expected vote in. Spadea was in a distant second at 22%, followed by Bramnick, Kranjac and Barbera in single digits. Trump hosted a tele-rally as early voting kicked off this month, telling supporters that Ciattarelli is 'going to help us with a win this November and send a powerful message to the entire country that New Jersey is turning red.' But Ciattarelli did have to overcome attacks from Spadea, his chief competitor in the primary, who highlighted Ciattarelli's past criticisms of the president as proof he was not sufficiently pro-Trump. Trump ultimately backed Ciattarelli about a month before the primary, writing on Truth Social that Ciattarelli is now '100%' MAGA and is best positioned to win in November. Both Ciattarelli and Sherrill have already previewed the general election fight, sparring on social media over Trump's sweeping domestic policy bill and his recent decision to federalize California National Guard troops despite Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom's objections. Sherrill has tied Ciattarelli directly to Trump, who lost the state by 6 points in November after he lost it by 16 in 2020. Sherrill's recent TV ad warns, 'MAGA's coming for New Jersey with Trump-endorsed Republican Jack Ciattarelli,' and she said at a primary debate last month that Ciattarelli is 'not going to stand up to Trump on anything.' It remains to be seen whether Ciattarelli will put some distance between him and Trump in the Democratic-leaning state, but he has said he would campaign with Trump this year. Ciattarelli has also previewed how he might push back against Democrats who try to tie him to Trump, often noting that the next governor must address four crises facing the state: affordability, public safety, education and overdevelopment. 'Last time I checked, this was a race for governor,' Ciattarelli said at a recent campaign stop. 'And so what is it that President Trump has to do with those windmills of our Jersey Shore? What does he have to do with the fact that we have the highest property tax in the nation? What does he have to do with the failure of our public school system, which just slipped from two to 12 on the national report card? What does he have to do with the overdevelopment of our suburbs?' 'They broke it, they own it,' Ciattarelli said of Democrats in charge of the state government. 'And we're not going to let anybody forget it over the next five months.' This article was originally published on
Yahoo
16 minutes ago
- Yahoo
New Jersey's field for governor is set. It will be a test of Trump's appeal
Democrat Mikie Sherrill and Republican Jack Ciattarelli will face off for New Jersey's governorship in November following a historic primary election. Sherrill, a four-term congressmember, prevailed over five high-profile and often well-funded opponents. Ciattarelli, the 2021 Republican nominee for governor who came within 3 points of ousting incumbent Democrat Phil Murphy,easily defeated his four rivals. The primary was the most expensive in New Jersey history, with more than $120 million spent over two years of campaigning, and the first in 44 years without a ballot design that gave party bosses extraordinary influence. Nevertheless, the Democratic and Republican establishments, who in the main backed Sherrill and Ciattarelli, came out on top. The general election will be watched nationally as a test of Trump's appeal in a traditionally blue state that he lost by a closer-than-expected six points last year. Only one other state, Virginia, has a gubernatorial election this year, so both states' outcomes in November will also be read for clues into next year's midterms. Ciattarelli thanked Trump for his support in his victory speech, but then turned his attention to Sherrill. "If this campaign were a drinking game and you took a shot every time Mikie Sherill says Trump, you'd be drunk off your ass every day between now and November 4th," he said. Sherrill called Ciattarelli a "Trump lackey" in her victory speech. "'I'm ready to shake up the status quo and Jack is the status quo. He's not change, he's a re-run. He's a ghost of elections past.' The results show New Jersey's traditional political party machines were still able to perform without the 'county line' — a structure used for decades by party leaders that gave the candidates they endorsed favorable placement on the primary ballot. That follows a judge's 2024 decision to toss the line in the Democratic primary and a new law mandating office block ballots for both parties, similar to those used in every other state. Among the Democrats, Sherrill had long been the frontrunner, but not the prohibitive one. With the backing of many but not all of New Jersey's county leaders, the four-term former Navy helicopter pilot and former federal prosecutor has found herself her opponents' top target for allying with power brokers in Democratic-rich counties in North and Central Jersey. She defeated Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop, Rep. Josh Gottheimer, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, New Jersey Education Association President Sean Spiller and former Senate President Steve Sweeney. But Sherrill projected herself as the top general election candidate early, using the last few weeks of the primary to reinforce Republican frontrunner Jack Ciattarelli's association with Trump and touting legislation she introduced in April to require Elon Musk and top DOGE staff to take drug tests. 'MAGA's coming for New Jersey, with Trump -endorsed Republican Jack Ciattarelli. We've gotta stop them,' says a recent Sherrill ad. Sherrill faced the most caustic criticism from Fulop, the longtime mayor of Jersey City who eschewed the political bosses he once courted and has run to Sherrill's left with aggressive and detailed policy plans, including support for the type of suburban residential development that has proven a liability for Democrats in general elections. He called her 'Tammy 2.0,' referring to First Lady Tammy Murphy's dropped bid for U.S. Senator last year that stirred resentment in the party base, and criticized her for refusing to 'take any position that is risky.' Ras Baraka, the mayor of Newark, also ran to Sherrill's left and appealed to Democrats by aggressively challenging the Trump administration, resulting in his widely-condemned trespassing arrest at a Newark ICE facility last month. The arrest gave him massive publicity, but it failed to propel him to the top of the field, and his fundraising lagged his rivals. Sweeney and Gottheimer ran more moderate campaigns, with Sweeney voting to repeal New Jersey's policy that limits local law enforcement's cooperation with immigration authorities and Gottheimer pledging to cut property taxes by 15 percent. Meanwhile, Sean Spiller, the former mayor of Montclair and president of the 200,000-member New Jersey Education Association, ran a campaign with progressive messaging fueled almost exclusively by a super PAC funded with $40 million from his union, making it by far the most expensive of any candidate's effort. The size of the field and their extensive resources led to the most expensive statewide primary in decades. That was largely because of progressives' successful challenge of the county line last year. While this was the second Democratic primary not to feature it (and the first Republican one), the 2024 U.S. Senate primary was over before a judge barred the line since Murphy dropped out and effectively handed the party nomination to Andy Kim. The Republican primary was nothing like the Democratic one. Two of the main candidates, former radio host Bill Spadea and Ciattarelli, spent most of it competing as much for an endorsement of Trump as they did appealing to the state's 1.6 million registered Republicans. The other, state Sen. Jon Bramnick, ran as an anti-Trump Republican. Spadea, who has long aired anti-vaccine conspiracy theories and cast doubt on the results of the 2020 election, appeared to be in the running for Trump's endorsement. Ciattarelli had in 2015 called Trump a 'charlatan' and, while he gradually warmed to him, largely sought to avoid association with him in his 2021 campaign. But Ciattarelli recently expressed unbridled support for Trump, while his allies dug through thousands of hours of Spadea's programs to find Trump criticism. They also highlighted fundraising and poll results that showed Ciattarelli way ahead. It culminated with an ebullient Ciattarelli getting a photo op sit down with Trump at his golf club in Bedminster. Not to be outdone, Spadea showed up the next day and met with Trump in the golf club's hallway, but did not post a photo of the encounter. It paid off for Ciattarelli with a Trump endorsement, writing on Truth Social that 'Jack, who after getting to know and understand MAGA, has gone ALL IN, and is now 100% (PLUS!)' Spadea sought to reassure disappointed supporters by saying Trump 'endorsed a poll, not a plan' in Ciattarelli. But most political observers counted that as the end of the Republican primary, and subsequent events showed it. Spadea has struggled in fundraising, earning only about half of the matching funds he was eligible for from the state. New Jersey's off-year general election in November — along with Virginia — will be read as a bellwether for the 2026 midterms. While Democrats have an 800,000 registered voter advantage over Republicans, New Jersey voters have often been willing to elect Republicans as governor. And the GOP in recent years has gained more than 100,000 voters, while Trump's relatively close loss in the state in 2024 has given Republicans hope of taking the governorship. Daniel Han and Dustin Racioppi contributed to this article.
Yahoo
16 minutes ago
- Yahoo
US and China agree on trade framework after two days of talks in London, Chinese negotiator says
The United States and China have agreed on a trade framework after two days of negotiations in London, China's trade negotiator Li Chenggang told reporters on Wednesday, according to Chinese state broadcaster CGTN. The two sides 'have agreed in principle on the framework for implementing the consensus reached by the two heads of state during their phone talks on June 5 and at Geneva talks last month,' he said. The US and Chinese officials will now take the proposal back to their leaders for approval, US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told reporters in a separate briefing in London, Reuters reported. 'The idea is we're going to go back and speak to President Trump and make sure he approves it. They're going to go back and speak to President Xi and make sure he approves it, and if that is approved, we will then implement the framework,' he said. The latest round of talks, held Monday and Tuesday, followed a long-anticipated phone call last week between US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping. The call appeared to ease tensions that emerged over the past month after a surprise agreement in Geneva was announced in May. After talks in the Swiss city, the two sides had agreed to drastically reduce tariffs on each other's goods for an initial 90-day period. Initially, the mood was upbeat. However, sentiment soured quickly over two main sticking points: China's control over so-called rare earth minerals and its access to semiconductor technology originating from the US. Lutnick said that China's restrictions on exports of rare earth minerals and magnets to the US will be resolved as a 'fundamental' part of the framework agreement, according to Reuters. 'Also, there were a number of measures the United States of America put on when those rare earths were not coming,' Lutnick said. 'You should expect those to come off, sort of as President Trump said, in a balanced way.' CNN has reached out to the White House for comment. This is a developing story and will be updated.
