Free Republic

China's military was on "high alert" on Thursday (Sep 26) and Beijing said it had lodged a complaint with Tokyo after a Japanese warship sailed through the Taiwan Strait for the first time. Japan's top government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi declined to comment on the reports at a regular briefing because they concerned military operations. But Beijing confirmed its military had responded to "the activities of a Japanese Self-Defence Force ship entering the Taiwan Strait". "China is highly vigilant about the political intentions of Japan's actions and has lodged stern representations with Japan," foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said.

KEY POINTS USS America is steaming into the disputed waters where a Chinese survey ship is operating The U.S. had previously demanded that China stop its "bullying behavior" China has increase maritime activities in disputed waters amid coronavirus pandemic

A US Navy ship had an "unsafe" interaction with a Chinese warship Sunday while the US vessel was conducting a freedom of navigation operation near the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, causing the US ship to maneuver "to prevent a collision," according to US defense officials. "A (People's Republic of China) Luyang destroyer approached USS Decatur in an unsafe and unprofessional maneuver in the vicinity of Gaven Reef in the South China Sea," Capt. Charles Brown, a spokesman for US Pacific Fleet, told CNN in a statement confirming the incident. Brown said the Chinese warship "conducted a...

Keep U.S. Aircraft Carrier Out of Our Backyard, China Warns A state-run Chinese newspaper on Tuesday criticized the South Korean government for allowing the 97,000-ton aircraft carrier George Washington of the U.S. Navy's Seventh Fleet to join South Korea-U.S. military training scheduled late this month. In an editorial, Global News wrote the West Sea "is in proximity to China's political hub of Beijing and Tianjin. If a U.S. aircraft carrier comes into the West Sea, mainland China falls under the military strategic influence of U.S. military forces. The people of China will not accept South Korea having military demonstration involving...