By David Brennan, Newsweek — Thursday 15 October 2020
The Chinese navy condemned a US warship for sailing through the Taiwan Strait, accusing Washington of “trouble-stirring” amid ongoing tensions regarding the island’s independence from Beijing. The Arleigh-Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Barry passed through the Taiwan Strait in what the US Pacific Fleet said was a “routine” transit “in accordance with international law.” Senior Colonel Zhang Chunhui of the Eastern Theater Command said: “We sternly urge the US to stop making trouble-stirring statements and moves. The command forces are always on high alert in resolutely safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity.”