China: US Plane in Taiwan Strait Endangered Peace, Stability

By Staff, Agencies

China's military warned on Saturday that the recent fly through of a US maritime plane through the Taiwan Strait deliberately disrupted the regional situation and endangered peace and stability.

Colonel Shi Yi, spokesman for the Eastern Theater Command of the People's Liberation Army, said in a statement that the military had organized air and ground forces to monitor the US aircraft's operation, which had taken place on Friday.

He added that they firmly opposed the actions by the United States and that their troops remained high on alert.

China has said previously that it has sovereignty and jurisdiction over the Taiwan Strait while the US and Taiwan claim that the strait separating the island from China is an international waterway.

The latest tension over the strait comes after Taiwan on Thursday said it had scrambled jets to warn away 22 Chinese aircraft in its air defense zone, the second large scale incursion reported during the week.