US and Chinese Navy Ships in Close Encounter in Taiwan Strait

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. China says it put its navy and air force on alert as U.S. Navy vessels passed through the Taiwan Strait this week. Newsweek reached out to the U.S. Department of Defense and U.S. military’s Indo-Pacific Command by email with requests for comment. Why It Matters China considers Taiwan its territory—though the Chinese Communist Party has never ruled the island—and considers U.S. and allied warship transits through the Taiwan Strait to be provocations. Under international maritime law, waters outside China’s and Taiwan’s territorial…