PLA says it will stay on ‘high alert’ after Dutch warship crosses Taiwan Strait

The PLA’s Eastern Theatre Command said on social media that in less than two weeks, the shipborne helicopter of the Dutch frigate De Ruyter had “illegally intruded into the airspace over China’s Xisha [the Chinese name for the Paracel Islands] and then the frigate transited the Taiwan Strait”.

Senior Colonel Xu Chenghua, a spokesman for the theatre command, said the military “would stay on high alert at all times and resolutely safeguard China’s sovereignty and security, as well as regional peace and stability”.

He added that naval and air forces “handled the situation effectively”, without giving details. The post included two pictures of the Dutch warship, one of which also showed the helicopter.

The Netherlands said the warship was sailing through the region for diplomatic, security and economic reasons and was operating in accordance ⁠with international law, according to Reuters.

Beijing views Taiwan as part of its territory and has never renounced the use of force to reunite it with the mainland.