US warships sail through Taiwan Strait for first time since Pelosi visit

The US Navy said two warships were sailing through international waters in the Taiwan Strait on Sunday, in the first such operation since heightened tensions with China over the Taiwan visit of the US House speaker, Nancy Pelosi.

China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory, launched military drills near the island after Pelosi visited in early August and those exercises have continued.

US Navy operations in the Taiwan Strait usually take between eight and 12 hours to complete and are closely monitored by the Chinese military.

Senator Marsha Blackburn, who is on the Senate commerce and armed services committees, arrived in Taiwan on Thursday on the third visit by a US dignitary this month, defying pressure from Beijing to halt the trips.

The Biden administration has sought to keep tensions between Washington and Beijing from boiling over into conflict, reiterating that such congressional trips are routine.

The US has no formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan but is bound by law to provide the island with the means to defend itself.

Reuters contributed to this report