JAKARTA - Moscow views the passing of two US Navy warships in the Taiwan Strait some time ago as a provocation, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Maria Zakharova said Wednesday.
Not only that, Zakharova also said that the provocation did not facilitate strengthening security in the area.
"We consider the journey of August 28 from two US Navy ships through the waters of the Taiwan Strait to be a new provocation," Zakharova said.
"As part of a provocation chain directed at Beijing's comprehensive detention, additional pressure on it and destabilizing the situation in the region in general," he said.
"All of this clearly does not facilitate strengthening security in the Asia-Pacific region, instead making the situation more complex and unpredictable," added the diplomat.
According to the diplomat, "Other robberies by the US Navy were carried out in the context of American politicians' visits to the island, all of this is one piece of chain.
"We consider the settlement of the situation in the Taiwan Strait as purely China's internal affairs, therefore having the right to take action to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity," Zakharova said.
"Russia's stance remains unchanged: there is only one China, the Government of the People's Republic of China, with Taiwan being an inseparable part of China," he stressed.
As previously reported, the US Navy confirmed reports of missile cruisers USS Chancellorsville (CG-62) and USS Antietam (CG-54) crossing the Taiwan Strait region.
White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said crossing two of their warships through international waters in the Taiwan Strait was "very consistent" with the United States' "one China policy", consistently searching for a free and open Indo-Pacific region.
"It's been planned for a long time," said John Kirby on CNN.
This cruise is also the first, following the visit of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan earlier this month.
"These ships (US) transit through corridors in the straits that are outside the sea of any coastal country," the US Navy said.
Meanwhile, China's military East Theater Command said it was following those ships and warning them.
"Party at the theater remains on high alert and is ready to thwart provocations at any time," the command said in a statement.
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