Article

China's military has heightened its alert status following the transit of the US guided-missile destroyer USS John Finn and the research vessel USS Mary Sears through the Taiwan Strait. The People's Liberation Army deployed naval and air forces to monitor the vessels, viewing their passage as a provocation amid rising tensions over a recent trade deal between the US and Taiwan, which China opposes. Beijing asserts that any agreements involving Taiwan's sovereignty are unacceptable and believes US military actions threaten regional stability.