The guided-missile destroyer USS John Finn (DDG-113) carried out what constitutes the first confirmed transit by United States Navy (US Navy) assets through the Taiwan Strait so far in the current year 2026, in an operation that once again drew regional attention and generated a swift reaction from China. The transit took place in a context of heightened military tension around the island and was closely followed by assets of China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
According to the information available, the USS John Finn, an Arleigh Burke–class destroyer, sailed through the strait accompanied by the oceanographic vessel USNS Mary Spear, conducting the navigation in accordance with international law. Although the US Navy did not issue a statement regarding the operation, this type of transit is usually carried out by Washington as part of its actions to ensure freedom of navigation in international waters.
By way of mere mention, this was not the first time the destroyer transited the Taiwan Strait in a peaceful manner; its last navigation took place in late January 2024 under the watchful eye of the Chinese Navy, which followed each of its movements.
From Beijing, military authorities confirmed the transit and stated that PLA naval and air units were deployed to surveil and monitor the passage of the US vessels. Chinese spokespeople described the operation as an action that “sent erroneous signals” and reiterated that the Taiwan Strait holds strategic importance for China’s national security, warning about the risks of greater militarization of the area.
From the perspective of the United States, the transit of military assets through the Taiwan Strait has become a sustained practice in recent years, especially following the increase in China’s military maneuvers around the island. Along the same lines, Washington maintains that these operations are not directed against any particular actor, but rather seek to reaffirm basic principles of international maritime law.
It should also be noted that the passage of the USS John Finn of the US Navy occurs at a time of intense military activity in the Indo-Pacific, marked by large-scale naval and air exercises by China, regular deployments of US forces, and growing attention from regional allies.
One of the most recent and most relevant to date has been “Justice Mission 2025,” carried out by Chinese forces in late December 2025 around the island of Taiwan, which gained notoriety not only for the volume of assets deployed but also for the areas in which they were present. In this context, each naval transit adds another layer to the regional environment, while also acquiring symbolic and strategic weight that goes beyond the operational event itself.
*Images used for illustrative purposes.
You may also like: Cooperation and expansion of agreements with the United States: the direct path chosen by Paraguay for the modernization of its Armed Forces
