China opposes any country using freedom of navigation to undermine its sovereignty
BEIJING, May 29 (Reuters) - China said on Friday it firmly opposes any attempt โby any country to undermine its โsovereignty and security "under the pretext of freedom of navigation", โin response to a Canadian warship passing through the Taiwan Strait. HMCS Charlottetown conduc
BEIJING, May 29 (Reuters) - China said on Friday it firmly opposes any attempt โby any country to undermine its โsovereignty and security "under the pretext of freedom of navigation", โin response to a Canadian warship passing through the Taiwan Strait.
HMCS Charlottetown conducted a routine transit through the Taiwan Strait on โMay 22, which โ was completed on May 23, Canadian Department of National Defence told โ Reuters on Friday.
China claims sovereignty over democratically governed Taiwan and the strategic Taiwan Strait โdespite Taipei's โrejection of the โclaims.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson โMao Ning added that China respects all countries' rights to navigation under international law.
"The Taiwan Strait is an international waterway, and all countries enjoy the right of freedom โof navigation," Taiwan's defence โministry told Reuters.
The ministry โsaid it "closely monitors โrelevant developments through joint intelligence, โsurveillance, and reconnaissance mechanisms, but โdoes not โproactively disclose the movements of military vessels from allied nations."
(Reporting by Joe Cash; โAdditional reporting โby Ben Blanchard in Taipei; Writing โby Liz Lee; Editing by Himani โSarkar and Ros Russell)

