Destroyer USS John McCain Transits Taiwan Strait as Chinese Carrier Strike Group Drills Nearby

A U.S. guided-missile destroyer transited the Taiwan Strait on Wednesday, days after the Chinese Navy announced a carrier strike group was operating near the island. USS John McCain (DDG-56) made the transit two days after the People’s Liberation Army Navy announced carrier Liaoning and its escorts would exercise near the island in the South China Sea. McCain’s transit is part of a regular drumbeat of U.S. Navy operations in the region. The passage through the strait is the fourth by the U.S. since the start of the Biden administration in January. USS John Finn (DDG-113) made the transit in March. On Monday, the PLAN announced that the carrier…