Strait transits key: US commanderTAKING A STAND: Washington has a responsibility to Taiwan, said the commander of the US Seventh Fleet, calling China’s response to Pelosi’s visit ‘irresponsible’By Yang Cheng-yu and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writerUS Seventh Fleet Commander Vice Admiral Karl Thomas on Friday reiterated the importance of conducting freedom of navigation operations in the Taiwan Strait, as he recognized Australia and Canada for their transits. “It’s very important that we don’t accept [China’s claims] and that’s why do we do freedom of navigation operations,” he said. Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer the USS Kidd transits the Taiwan Strait on Aug. 27 last year. Arleigh Burke-class destroyer the USS Higgins and Canadian Halifax-class frigate the HMCS Vancouver traveled through the Taiwan Strait on Sept. 20, while Australian Majestic-class carrier the HMAS Melbourne sailed through the Taiwan Strait in September 2018. Freedom-of-navigation operations are not all aimed at China, but are carried out to deter excessive claims by any nation, Thomas said.
