A view of the Taiwan Straits is seen from Xiamen port, in East China's Fujian Province. Photo: IC

In the early morning of Wednesday at 1:52 am, the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Eastern Theater Command released a statement from its spokesperson regarding the transit of US vessels through the Taiwan Straits. A military expert told the Global Times that this was the first publicly reported US vessel transit of the Taiwan Straits in 2025. Unlike previous transits, which typically began and ended on the same day, this operation lasted from Monday to Wednesday, marking a longer duration, the expert said, noting that the PLA Eastern Theater Command moved more proactively in releasing information about the US vessels' Taiwan Straits transit.

From Monday to Wednesday, the US destroyer USS Ralph Johnson and the oceanographic survey ship USNS Bowditch transited the Taiwan Straits. The PLA Eastern Theater Command deployed naval and air forces to monitor the entire passage of the US vessels, effectively responding to and managing the situation, said Senior Captain Li Xi, spokesperson for the PLA Eastern Theater Command, on Wednesday.

The actions of the US sent the wrong signals and increased security risks. The Eastern Theater Command remains on high alert, resolutely safeguarding national sovereignty and security, as well as regional peace and stability, Li stressed.

In response to US vessels' Taiwan Straits transit, Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said at a regular press conference on Wednesday that the Taiwan question is a concern of China's core interests. We firmly oppose and will never allow any external interference. We have strong will, full confidence, and sufficient capability to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity. The US side should adhere to the one-China principle and the provisions of the three China-US joint communiqués, handle Taiwan question with caution and propriety, and stop sending wrong signals to "Taiwan independence" separatist forces.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said at a regular press conference on Wednesday that "Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory. The Taiwan question has nothing to do with freedom of navigation but bears on China's sovereignty and territorial integrity. China firmly opposes any country challenging or threatening China's sovereignty and security under the pretext of freedom of navigation."

This is the first time in publicly reported incidents that US naval vessels have transited the Taiwan Straits in 2025, and the manner of their transit featured "new twists." 

Firstly, the US operation was carried out by a destroyer accompanied by an oceanographic survey ship. "Previously, US vessels transiting the Taiwan Straits have also appeared in pairs, such as two destroyers, but this is the first time a survey ship has participated in such an operation," Chinese military expert Zhang Junshe told the Global Times on Wednesday. 

Additionally, unlike previous instances, this transit lasted longer, from Monday to Wednesday, likely related to the involvement of the survey ship, which can conduct measurements while moving, mapping the seabed's geological structures, gathering hydrological and meteorological data, and conducting underwater surveillance using towed sonar, which is highly effective for maritime intelligence collection, Zhang said.

Public records show that the last time the PLA Eastern Theater Command has released information about US ships and aircraft transiting the Taiwan Straits was on November 26, 2024, when a spokesperson for the air force of the PLA Eastern Theater Command issued a statement on the transit of a US P-8A anti-submarine patrol aircraft through the Taiwan Straits.

A key difference between the two statements is that this time, spokesperson Li omitted the term "public hype" when describing the US transit. Analysts believe this indicates that the PLA Eastern Theater Command has become more proactive in its messaging, especially considering the release time of 1:52 am, which suggests the information was published immediately after the US ships left the Taiwan Straits.

Zhang stated that the PLA Eastern Theater Command's proactive release of information aims to counter US' false narratives, reveal the truth of the matter, and clarify the facts.

A Reuters report on Wednesday claimed that the US Navy confirmed two of its ships carried out a Taiwan Straits transit.

The last time a US Navy ship was confirmed to have passed through the Taiwan Straits was in October last year, when it was on a joint mission with a Canadian warship. On October 20, the US destroyer USS Higgins and the Canadian frigate HMCS Vancouver transited the Taiwan Straits and the transit was publicly hyped.

It must be pointed out that no matter what new tricks the US military plays, its actions send the wrong signals to "Taiwan secessionist forces," Zhang said. However, these efforts will not succeed, he emphasized.

On Wednesday, the PLA Eastern Theater Command released Lantern Festival-themed posters titled "The Scent of Sweet Dumplings on Battle Positions is Especially Fragrant," underscoring that troops remain vigilant at their posts, ready for battle at any moment, whether on land, in the air, or at sea, safeguarding peace across the Taiwan Straits. Zhang noted that the PLA's swift response to the US transit showcased its high combat readiness even during the Lantern Festival, reaffirming its ability to mobilize and engage at any time.