People gather on a viewing platform at the 68-nautical-mile scenic spot on Pingtan Island, Fujian province, China, which offers one of the closest mainland China views to the Taiwan Strait. A Reuters file photo captures the moment.

On Tuesday, Beijing announced that it had deployed air and naval forces to monitor a US military plane as it flew over the politically sensitive waters separating China and Taiwan. The United States and its allies frequently navigate through the 180-km Taiwan Strait, either by ship or aircraft, to underscore the international status of the waterway, a move that angers Beijing.

China views Taiwan as part of its territory and asserts jurisdiction over the strait. To reinforce its claims, Beijing regularly deploys fighter jets and warships around the island, while opposing transits by military ships and aircraft from the United States and its allies.

The US Navy's 7th Fleet stated, "A US Navy P-8A Poseidon transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace on November 26, 2024 (local time)." The statement added, "The aircraft's transit of the Taiwan Strait demonstrates the United States' commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific." China, however, condemned the flight, accusing the US of "openly hyping" the event.

Cao Jun, a senior colonel and spokesman for China's Eastern Theatre Air Force, criticized the US remarks, saying they "distort legal principles, confuse the public, and mislead international perception." Beijing had "organised naval and air forces to monitor and guard the trajectory of the US aircraft and effectively responded and dealt with it," Cao added.

During a previous transit by a US P-8A Poseidon in September, the Chinese military closely followed the aircraft. The United States is Taiwan's most important security partner, although it does not have official diplomatic relations with Taipei. Taiwan's defense ministry confirmed that the US P-8A aircraft flew from south to north through the Taiwan Strait in the morning, with the Taiwan military "fully monitoring the movements in the surrounding sea and airspace, and the situation remained normal."

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