US navy flies aircraft through the Taiwan Strait a day after US-China defense chiefs hold rare talks

By CHRISTOPHER BODEEN
Associated Press

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — The U.S. 7th Fleet says a Navy P-8A Poseidon has flown through the Taiwan Strait. The flight on Wednesday came a day after U.S. and Chinese defense chiefs held their first talks since November 2022. The 7th Fleet said in a statement that the patrol and reconnaissance plane “transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace.”  The critical strait is 160 kilometers or 100 miles wide strait and is in international waters. But China considers the passage of foreign military aircraft and ships through it as a challenge to its sovereignty and claim to Taiwan. China claims the island of Taiwan and threatens to defend it by force if necessary despite U.S. military support for the island.