US warships travel through the Taiwan Strait for the first time this year, almost a week after the island held elections.

US warships headed north across the Taiwan Strait yesterday. The island armed forces have deployed forces to monitor the journey of the US battleship. "This is a normal activity, nothing to worry about," the Taiwan defense agency released a statement.

The US Navy confirmed the cruiser USS Shiloh had made the voyage through the Taiwan Strait, but did not disclose further information. China's Ministry of Defense has yet to comment.

US warships passed through the Taiwan Strait just a week after Taiwanese leader Taiping was re-elected in a vote of the island's head of government and legislative representatives. Ms. Thai won the election with 57%, overwhelming South Korean rival Du has a pro-Beijing view.

In a statement announcing the victory, Thai said that Beijing must abandon the threat of force against Taipei and that the island will not give in. However, she hinted that she would not try to provoke the mainland government by saying that Taiwan wanted to be a "partner" with the surrounding areas, not their "problem".

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi then considered that Taiwan united with the mainland was inevitable. "The 'One China' policy will not change in any way because of the local election in Taiwan. The consolidation and unification of the Chinese nation through the Taiwan Strait is inevitable. "That trend will lead to a dead end again," Wang said on January 13.

China considers Taiwan a part of its territory waiting for reunification, including by force if necessary and asserting that crossing the strait is a violation of sovereignty, while the US and many countries consider this route to be a maritime area. international. The US Navy has recently increased the frequency of its presence in the Taiwan Strait despite strong protests from China.

Location of the Taiwan Strait. Graphics: FT.