{"id":18964,"date":"2019-01-18T16:38:03","date_gmt":"2019-01-18T16:38:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/smg.go-vip.net\/navytimes\/uncategorized\/2019\/01\/18\/cno-urges-china-to-avoid-confrontations-refuses-to-back-down-on-taiwan-strait\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T19:02:33","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T19:02:33","slug":"cno-urges-china-to-avoid-confrontations-refuses-to-back-down-on-taiwan-strait","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/your-navy\/2019\/01\/18\/cno-urges-china-to-avoid-confrontations-refuses-to-back-down-on-taiwan-strait\/","title":{"rendered":"CNO urges China to avoid confrontations, refuses to back down on Taiwan Strait"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

TOKYO \u2014 The U.S. Navy\u2019s top officer said he urged China to follow international rules at sea to avoid confrontations and insisted Friday that ships should be able to pass safely though disputed areas of the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chief of U.S. Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson told reporters in Tokyo that U.S. Navy ships will continue to operate freely in international waters, including the possibility of an aircraft carrier navigating through the Taiwan Strait.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Richardson, who held meetings in China earlier this week<\/a>, said he told Chinese officials that the U.S. is committed to a one-China policy and is opposed to any unilateral action \u201cfrom either side of the strait\u201d to change the status quo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Richardson said the U.S. considers the Taiwan Strait as international waters.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t see any kind of limitation on whatever type of ship could pass through those waters,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\t