US naval spy plane flies across Taiwan Strait

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) - A US naval spy plane flew over the Taiwan Strait on Friday, Taipei said in a statement.

Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said the US P-8 plane crossed the strait from south to north.

“During this period,” the ministry said on X, the Taiwanese armed forces “maintained full control over the surrounding sea and airspace, with the situation remaining normal.”

Such flights by the US and its allies usually trigger protests from China, which claims Taiwan as its “breakaway province.”

However, the US-led allies claim freedom of navigation in the waterway to fly and sail their military planes and warships.

This was the second time in three weeks that the US has flown its naval plane over Taiwan Strait.

In response, China had deployed its naval and air forces when the US Navy’s P-8 Poseidon transited the waterway on Nov. 26.

Early Friday, Taipei said it detected 12 aircraft, 14 naval vessels, and nine official ships of China operating around Taiwan.