A U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon aircraft transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace on Friday, in a move the U.S. 7th Fleet said “demonstrates the United States’ commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific”.
The Chinese military tracked and monitored the patrol and reconnaissance aircraft throughout the transit, the state-backed Global Times newspaper reported, citing a military source, saying the “situation was under control”.
U.S. military ships or aircraft every few months pass through or above the waterway that separates democratically governed Taiwan from China — missions that anger Beijing.
Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to visit the United States next month to meet President Donald Trump as Washington and Beijing look to stabilise ties marred by issues including Taiwan, trade disputes and technology curbs.
“By operating within the Taiwan Strait in accordance with international law, the United States upholds the navigational rights and freedoms of all nations,” the 7th Fleet said in a statement.
“The aircraft’s transit of the Taiwan Strait demonstrates the United States’ commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific. The United States military flies, sails, and operates anywhere international law allows.”
Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/china/us-navy-aircraft-transited-taiwan-strait-it-says-2026-08-22/