The USS William P. Lawrence, a U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer, sailed through the Taiwan Strait on Wednesday, April 23, in what the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command described as a routine operation conducted under international law, according to Newsweek. Private tracking platforms confirmed the warship’s route. Data showed the destroyer activated its Automatic Identification System, or AIS, at the start of the transit and turned it off near the end, according to local reports.
What was China’s response to the transit?
China’s People’s Liberation Army Eastern Theater Command said it deployed naval and air assets to monitor and warn the U.S. warship during its passage.
Shi Yi, spokesperson for China’s Eastern Theater Command, accused the U.S. of exaggerating the transit, saying, “We urge the U.S. side to stop distorting and hyping up,” even though Washington issued no official statement.
A short video released by Chinese state media showed a Chinese sailor observing the U.S. destroyer from a distance.
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Did the US or Taiwan publicly acknowledge the operation?
Unlike previous transits, the U.S. Navy and Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense did not issue formal statements to confirm or elaborate on the ship’s movement. Taiwan Security Monitor, a private maritime tracker, was among the first to identify the vessel and trace its route using public data.
An MQ-4C reconnaissance drone from the U.S. Navy was also spotted operating near Taiwan as the ship passed through the Strait, although officials did not publicly link the two activities.
Why does this transit matter?
Beijing claims sovereignty over Taiwan and considers the Taiwan Strait part of its territory, while the U.S. and much of the international community regard the Strait as international waters. Washington has long emphasized the importance of freedom of navigation in the region, especially amid growing concerns over Chinese military activity near Taiwan.
William P. Lawrence’s passage is the second such transit by a U.S. warship in President Donald Trump’s current term.
How does this fit into broader regional tensions?
The transit occurred after China conducted military exercises around Taiwan and marked the 76th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese Navy. It also coincides with a continuing regional military buildup, as Beijing dispatches warplanes and ships near Taiwan.
Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense reported 19 Chinese aircraft and seven naval vessels in the area 24 hours before the transit, consistent with recent patterns.
What comes next?
The U.S. plans to continue periodic transits through the Taiwan Strait under its longstanding freedom-of-navigation policies. Chinese officials consistently portray the transits as provocations, and both sides are likely to maintain tensions over the strategic waterway.
