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World

U.S. warship transits Taiwan Strait after Chinese assault drills

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The U.S. Navy Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Kidd transits alongside the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt while participating in Exercise Northern Edge 2019 in the Gulf of Alaska May 16, 2019. Picture taken May 16, 2019. U.S. Navy/Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Sean Lynch/Handout via REUTERS./File Photo

WASHINGTON, Aug 27 (Reuters) – A U.S. warship and a U.S. Coast Guard cutter sailed through the Taiwan Strait on Friday, the latest in what Washington calls routine operations through the sensitive waterway that separates Taiwan from China, which claims the self-ruled island.

The passage comes amid a spike in military tensions in the past two years between Taiwan and China, and follows Chinese assault drills last week, with warships and fighter jets exercising off the island’s southwest and southeast.

The Kidd, an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, accompanied by the Coast Guard cutter Munro, transited “through international waters in accordance with international law,” the U.S. Navy said in a statement.

“The ships’ lawful transit through the Taiwan Strait demonstrates the U.S. commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific. The United States military flies, sails and operates anywhere international law allows,” it said.

The U.S. Navy has been conducting such operations every month or so, angering China, which sees Taiwan as its territory and has never renounced the use of force to bring the democratic island under its control.

China on Saturday called the move “provocative,” saying the Eastern Theater Command of the People’s Liberation Army organized troops to follow, monitor and guard the course of the U.S. ships operations.

“The U.S. has frequently carried out similar provocative acts, which are of a very bad nature, fully showing that it is the biggest destroyer of peace and stability and the biggest cause of security risks in the Taiwan Strait. We firmly oppose and strongly condemn this,” defense ministry spokesperson Tan Kefei said in a statement.

“Taiwan is an inseparable part of China. The Taiwan issue is China’s internal affair and allows no external interference. We call on the U.S. to recognize the situation, stop provocation and abide by the One China principle and the provisions of the three Sino-U.S. joint communiques.”

The United States, like most countries, has no formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan, but is its most important international backer and a major seller of arms to the island.

Taiwan and the United States in March signed an agreement establishing a Coast Guard Working Group to coordinate policy, following China’s passing of a law that allows its coast guard to fire on foreign vessels. read more

Friday was not the first time a U.S. Coast Guard cutter has sailed through the Taiwan Strait.

But it was a reminder that it is now keeping vessels in the region and “engaging in more joint training and law enforcement diplomacy to help strengthen partner nation capacity vis-a-vis Chinese encroachments,” said Greg Poling, a maritime security expert at Washington’s Center for Strategic and International Studies.

China’s state-controlled media have seized on the United States’ chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan in recent weeks to portray U.S. support for Taiwan and regional allies as fickle.

But U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration has been quick to dismiss any comparison between Afghanistan and the U.S. commitment to the Indo-Pacific.

Vice President Kamala Harris accused China of “bullying and excessive maritime claims” during trips to Vietnam and Singapore this week, the latest in a string of visits by top U.S. officials to the Indo-Pacific aimed at cementing U.S. commitment to the region.

Reporting by Michael Martina and Idrees Ali; Additional reporting by Emily Chow in Shanghai; Editing by Jonathan Oatis and William Mallard

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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Sports

Jadeveon Clowney looks fast, Anthony Schwartz returns to drills, other observations from Day 20 of Browns camp

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BEREA, Ohio — Jadeveon Clowney looked fresh and fast in practice Thursday after getting some time off over the past few weeks to rest.

“Yeah, feel pretty good,’’ he said during his podium interview. “Getting ready to go. Part of camp, stuff happens. Have to take care of what you have to to get ready for the long season. That was the goal, not to come out here and hurt nothing. If something happened, a little strain or something, take care of it now so that it won’t linger later on.’’

Despite five knee surgeries, including one to repair a torn meniscus last season, Clowney still looks like an elite athlete when he’s executing agility drills in practice. There’s just something different about the way first-round picks move, and Clowney appears poised for a productive season.

It’s helped that the No. 1 goal of this camp has been to get starters to the season healthy.

“I mean, you know, football is definitely a 100 percent injury game,’’ he said. “It can happen any play, any time, practice, anywhere. I just take it one day at a time. If I’m feeling good, I’m going to go out there and practice. If I’m not, I’m going to let them know and hopefully they’ll deal with it accordingly.’’

Here are some other observations from Day 20.

Takk McKinley is getting acclimated

McKinley is getting comfortable after being on the practice field two straight days, and his athleticism is on display. He earned kudos from the coaches for how quick he looked in an early agility drill. He’s still hard on himself if a rep doesn’t go perfectly, but from all accounts, he’s in a good place mentally and committed to making this work. Taking it a little easier on himself would go a long way.

“That’s very nice to see him out here,’’ Clowney said. “We’ve been worried about him. he’s part of the group we’ve got and came in with us. We’ve been communicating with him, starting to get to know him just as well. He just hasn’t been here. He’s been dealing with his own issues. But that’s between him and whatever he’s got going on. We’re here for him, that’s all I can tell.’’

Anthony Schwartz returns

Schwartz, the Browns’ third-round pick, returned to some 11-on-11s Thursday after getting back on the field Wednesday. If there are no setbacks with a balky hamstring over the next 17 days, he’ll have a chance to play in Kansas City. It would be good to have his 4.26 speed available, even if for a handful of reps. It would give Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo something to prepare for, and the K.C. defensive backs something to think about on game day.

If Schwartz continues to show progress and some timing with Mayfield, the Browns can install a package of plays for him, even if some are simple go routes.

The defense is back together

In team drills, the starting defense was mostly together for one of the first times all camp. Only a few guys were still missing: Grant Delpit (hamstring), Greedy Williams (groin), Sione Takitaki (hamstring) and Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (stitches in forehead).

But most of the starters in the base defense were on the field, including Myles Garrett, Clowney, Denzel Ward, Greg Newsome, John Johnson III and Ronnie Harrison. Regardless, Joe Woods isn’t concerned about the overhauled defense not practicing together much.

“It’s the nature of the NFL,’’ Woods said. “I’d love to have all 11 out there, but the thing that’s helped us is some of the young guys we want to evaluate, they got a lot of reps, whether it’s in practice, whether it was a joint practice or in the games. But I know we are talented enough to play good defense.”

JOK playing catch-up

Owusu-Koramoah was making a strong case to start in Kansas City, especially after that promising debut in Jacksonville. But he’s sitting out for a while with stitches in his forehead. It’s doubtful he’ll play in Atlanta because a helmet could aggravate the gash. In the meantime, Mack Wilson will hold down the starting weakside job, and then Koramoah can try to beat him out for Week 1. If not, he’ll come in off the bench and undoubtedly make an impact.

“I’m very excited [about his versatility], but at the same time, you just have to be careful how much you’re doing with him because he’s a rookie,’’ Woods said. “I have stuff all over the board, but you really have to look at it at Year 1 and Year 2 because you don’t want to do so much with somebody that they’re not playing fast. We’ll be smart about that in terms of how we use him.”

Huge plans remain for Grant Delpit

The Browns haven’t abandoned their big role for Delpit despite the hamstring injury that has cost him most of camp. They believe he was rebounding so well from the ruptured Achilles that he should be back in business once the hamstring heals. Woods can’t wait, because Delpit is a key part of the dime defense.

“We’re going to have a dime package,’’ Woods said. “We may have to get to it maybe a little bit later in terms of the whole package, but we’re repping it in training camp. We are keeping it alive, but once (Delpit) gets back, there are some other things I will be able to do.”

In the meantime, one of Javonte Moffatt, Sheldrick Redwine or Richard LeCounte III will fill in for Delpit.

Rashard Higgins took it easy

Higgins worked in individual drills and then had his right leg wrapped for a while and sat out the rest of practice. Young receivers such as Davion Davis, KhaDarel Hodge, JoJo Natson and Ja’Marcus Bradley got a ton of reps, which is helpful with the cuts to 53 coming on Tuesday. The battle for that final receiver spot — if they keep six — is intriguing.

John Johnson III’s INT

With most of the defensive starters back, it’s easy to see how much better the unit will be this year. On one play in 11-on-11s, Anthony Walker Jr. tipped a pass Case Keenum intended for Davis, and John Johnson III easily swiped it. The Browns are emphasizing takeaways like crazy, and will likely get more this season.

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World

China says carrier group exercising near Taiwan, drills will become regular

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SHANGHAI (Reuters) – A Chinese carrier group is exercising near Taiwan and such drills will become regular, China’s navy said late on Monday in a further escalation of tensions near the island that Beijing claims as its sovereign territory.

Taiwan has complained of an increase in Chinese military activity near it in recent months, as China steps up efforts to assert its sovereignty over the democratically run island.

China’s navy said the carrier group, lead by the Liaoning, the country’s first aircraft carrier put into active service, was carrying out “routine” drills in the waters near Taiwan.

The aim is to “enhance its capability to safeguard national sovereignty, safety and development interests”, it said.

“Similar exercises will be conducted on a regular basis in the future,” the navy added, without elaborating.

China’s statement follows Taiwan’s Defence Ministry reporting a new incursion by China’s air force into the island’s air defence identification zone on Monday.

Taiwan’s Defence Ministry said it had a “full grasp” of the situation in the air and at sea surrounding Taiwan and that it was “appropriately handling” the matter.

Japan’s Defence Ministry said on Sunday that the Liaoning, accompanied by five escort ships, had transited the Miyako Strait on their way to the Pacific.

China’s widely-read Global Times, published by the ruling Communist Party’s official People’s Daily, noted the Nanchang, the first of a powerful new fleet of Type 055 destroyers that entered service last year, was part of the carrier group.

“The combination of aircraft carriers and Type 055 large destroyers will become a standard configuration of Chinese aircraft carrier task groups in the future,” it added.

The Liaoning and its sister ship the Shandong have carried out drills or sailed near Taiwan before.

In December 2019, shortly before presidential and parliamentary elections in Taiwan the Shandong sailed through the sensitive Taiwan Strait, a move condemned by Taiwan as attempted intimidation.

Taiwan is China’s most sensitive territorial issue and a potential military flashpoint. China has never renounced the use of force to bring the island under its control.

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen is overseeing a revamp of the island’s military, rolling out new equipment such as “carrier killer” stealth corvettes.

(Reporting by Andrew Galbraith; Additional reporting by Ben Blanchard in Taipei; Editing by Michael Perry and Edwina Gibbs)

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US

Two US Navy aircraft carriers conduct South China Sea drills

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The carriers USS Theodore Roosevelt and USS Nimitz and their accompanying guided-missile cruisers and destroyers are showing the US Navy’s ability to operate in highly trafficked, challenging environments, the US Navy said in statement.

The two strike groups have about 120 combat aircraft between them.

China claims almost all of the 1.3 million square mile South China Sea. Since 2014 it has transformed obscure reefs and sandbars into man-made artificial islands, fortified with missiles, runways and weapons systems — antagonizing governments with overlapping claims, including the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei and Taiwan.

“The US action is intended to drive a wedge between countries, promote the militarization of the South China Sea, and undermine peace and stability in the South China Sea,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said at the time.

In a speech Thursday, Biden described China as the US’ “most serious competitor” and outlined plans to confront Beijing’s “attack on human rights, intellectual property, and global governance.”

And in an interview with CBS News on Sunday, Biden said Washington was in “extreme competition” with China.

But Biden and officials in his administration have pledged to work with US allies when it comes to countering Beijing.

“I’m not going to do it the way Trump did,” Biden said of his predecessor’s administration, which often made policy regarding China without consulting regional players and organizations.

“We’re going to focus on international rules of the road,” Biden told CBS.

The US Navy says it has been following international rules on two occasions in the past week as it challenges Chinese claims in the Pacific. Last Thursday, the US Navy sent the guided-missile destroyer USS John S McCain through the Taiwan Strait, which separates China from self-governed Taiwan. On Friday, the same warship steamed near the Chinese-claimed Paracel Islands in the South China Sea.

Friday’s so-called freedom of navigation operation near the Paracels “upheld the rights, freedoms and lawful uses of the sea recognized in international law,” a US Navy statement said.

US Rear Adm. Doug Verissimo, commander, Carrier Strike Group Nine, led by the Roosevelt, said Tuesday’s dual carrier operation was performed “to ensure that we are tactically proficient to meet the challenge of maintaining peace and we are able to continue to show our partners and allies in the region that we are committed to promoting a free and open Indo-Pacific.”

Since assuming office on January 20, the Biden administration has reaffirmed its commitment to US allies and partners in the region, specifically letting the Philippines and Japan know that their islands also claimed by China are covered by mutual defense treaties that obligates Washington to defend them.

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