US ships in bold move

TWO US warships entered the Taiwan Strait yesterday at a time of trade tensions between Washington and Beijing.

A US Pacific Fleet spokesperson confirmed that USS Mustin and USS Benfold had sailed into the waterway separating Taiwan and China.

“US Navy ships transit between the South China Sea and East China Sea via the Taiwan Strait and have done so for many years,” he said.

But the warships’ entry comes as Washington and Beijing are locked in a trade war and as tensions escalate between Beijing and Taipei.