The U.S. is monitoring Chinese (Communist Party of China) naval maneuvers near Taiwan and reiterated its continued arms sales to Taiwan, Defense Department spokesman John Kirby said Tuesday (April 6).
On Sunday (April 4), the Joint Staff of Japan’s Ministry of Defense said the Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning and five frigates had passed through a key waterway near Japan and headed for the Pacific Ocean. The move by the Chinese warships comes as the U.S. Navy strengthens cooperation with its “quadrilateral” partners Japan, India and Australia in the Indo-Pacific region.
Chinese Navy spokesman Patrick Gao said on the evening of April 5 local time that the Liaoning fleet’s training in the waters around Taiwan was “a routine training organized according to the annual work plan” and aimed to “test the effectiveness of the troops’ training.
The Central News Agency reported that Kirby said during a media briefing on Tuesday that he was aware that the Chinese navy was conducting exercises around Taiwan and that the U.S. was monitoring them. As for the intentions of the Communist forces, he was reluctant to talk more, saying it was up to the Chinese side to explain.
Kirby reiterated that the U.S. support for the “One China” policy has not changed and continues to work with many countries to provide Taiwan with defense materiel to assist Taiwan in strengthening its self-defense capabilities. The U.S. side will continue to closely observe the region.
Japan’s Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi also said Tuesday that he remains significantly concerned about the increased activity of Chinese ships and military aircraft. Japan is concerned about the frequent activities of Chinese ships and military aircraft, and will analyze the movement of Chinese ships based on the situation around Japan and the international situation.
In addition, on April 5, the U.S. Pacific Fleet confirmed that the USS Roosevelt Carrier Battle Group (TRCSG) re-entered the South China Sea on April 4, and Commander Douglas Verissimo said he was pleased to return to his old location to reassure allies and partners of the U.S. military’s continued commitment to freedom of the seas.
While in the South China Sea, the USS Roosevelt battle group will conduct fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft flight operations, maritime strike exercises, anti-submarine warfare, coordinated tactical training and other maneuvering tasks.
Rear Admiral Verissimo, who is the commander of the 9th Carrier Battle Group, said, “During the battle group deployment, we have demonstrated our commitment to a norms-based order in the Indo-Pacific region through joint operations with our friends in Australia, India, Japan, Malaysia and South Korea.”
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