In recent hours, China has confirmed and condemned the presence of a group of U.S. Navy vessels transiting the disputed Taiwan Strait. This marks the first deployment of a U.S. destroyer in the waters near Taiwan in 2025. The passage was closely monitored by the Eastern Theater Command of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), which issued a statement regarding the presence of the American warships.
According to Chinese authorities, the vessels involved were the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Ralph Johnson (DDG 114) and the Pathfinder-class oceanographic survey ship USNS Bowditch, which navigated through the Taiwan Strait from Monday until the present day. In response, the PLA deployed undisclosed naval and air forces to monitor the U.S. ships throughout their transit.
Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense confirmed that 62 Chinese military aircraft and 17 warships were operating around Taiwan within a 48-hour period while the U.S. warships passed through the strait. From Beijing’s perspective, Taiwan is an inseparable part of its territory, and the resolution of the issue remains an internal matter. Chinese officials argue that the presence of U.S. Navy units increases security risks in the region.
However, the U.S. Navy stated that the passage was a routine north-to-south transit through the strait. “The transit occurred through a corridor in the Taiwan Strait that is beyond the territorial seas of any coastal state,” said Navy Commander Matthew Comer, spokesperson for the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command. He added, “Within this corridor, all nations enjoy high-seas freedoms of navigation and overflight, as well as other internationally lawful uses of the sea related to those freedoms.”
It is important to note that the USNS Bowditch operates in the South China Sea region as part of a special mission program supporting global oceanographic studies, including acoustic, biological, physical, and geophysical research. Meanwhile, the USS Ralph Johnson is assigned to the U.S. Navy’s Seventh Fleet.
Chinese officials also raised concerns about certain aspects of the transit. Notably, they criticized the presence of the oceanographic survey vessel accompanying the destroyer, marking the first time a ship of this type has participated in such an operation.
Additionally, Beijing noted that the transit took longer than usual, likely due to the USNS Bowditch’s role. “This was probably related to the reconnaissance ship’s involvement, as it can conduct measurements while in motion, map the geological structures of the seabed, collect hydrological and meteorological data, and carry out underwater surveillance using a towed sonar system, which is highly effective for maritime intelligence gathering,” Chinese sources claimed.
The last confirmed passage of a U.S. Navy vessel through the Taiwan Strait occurred in October of last year during a joint mission with a Canadian warship. On October 20, the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Higgins and the Halifax-class frigate HMCS Vancouver transited the Taiwan Strait. “The ships transit between the East China Sea and the South China Sea through the Taiwan Strait and have done so for many years,” Commander Matthew Comer told The Japan Times. Later, at the end of November, a P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft flew over the waterway.
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