US Navy aircraft transits Taiwan Strait before planned Xi-Trump meeting

A US Navy P-8A Poseidon aircraft transited the Taiwan Strait on Friday, which the US 7th Fleet stated "demonstrates the United States' commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific." This action, occurring in international airspace, was tracked by the Chinese military, according to the Global Times, which reported the "situation was under control." Such transits, which anger Beijing, happen every few months and precede an anticipated meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump next month to discuss various issues, including Taiwan. The US maintains that its operations uphold "the navigational rights and freedoms of all nations" in the international waterway, a claim disputed by China, which asserts jurisdiction over the strait and views Taiwan as its territory.