China, US military engaged in ‘high stakes’ standoff in Taiwan Strait

China and the US reportedly engaged in another military standoff in the Taiwan Strait near China’s coast.

The Chinese media didn’t report when the encounter took place, only describing the incident as a “high-stakes aerial standoff.”

According to reports, the Chinese Changhe Z-10 attack helicopter intercepted a Sikorsky MH-60R Seahawk—a ship-based chopper widely used by the US Navy and its allies in the Pacific.

The Chinese pilot involved in the standoff told state media CCTV that the aerial confrontation lasted for at least an hour.

The outlet then hailed the Chinese military for expelling the US-made aircraft at an "extreme distance."

So far, neither the American government nor the Chinese regime have commented on the issue.

The CCTV aired the pilot’s interview on Aug 1, coinciding with the 98th anniversary of the Chinese People's Liberation Army.

Rise in US-China tensions

The timing of the interview seemed symbolic, as it highlighted the growing military tensions between the two superpowers in the disputed Taiwan Strait.

The 80-mile-wide Taiwan Strait is one of the main sources of tension between China and the US-backed Taiwan.

Like the South China Sea, China has resolutely claimed the Taiwan Strait as part of its territorial waters. This is in line with Beijing’s broader stance over Taiwan, which is seen as a renegade province of China—a claim rejected by Taipei.

As a result, China has prevented other countries from traversing the waters of the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea.

It has blocked the other country’s navies from travelling through the disputed waters, despite the United Nations’ law allowing innocent passage beyond the 12-nautical-mile mark.

According to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, a state’s sovereignty ends after the 12-nautical-mile limit of its territorial sea.

But, Beijing has a different perception of the law. It has claimed jurisdiction over the Taiwan Strait, stopping short of labelling the area part of its internal waters—an interpretation that can potentially impact freedom of navigation and international trade.

The UN treaty permits military vessels to transit the territorial waters of a coastal state, in what is known as "innocent passage."

But transiting ships are not allowed to conduct weapons training or launch aircraft.

The US navigational practices aim to show that it sees the Taiwan Strait as existing beyond the jurisdiction of any coastal state.

US warships in Taiwan

Between 2020 and 2021, US warships or navy planes publicly transited the Taiwan Strait almost every month, drawing criticism from China each time.

In 2025, the Trump administration sanctioned three transits through the Strait, including an overflight in mid-July. A year before, in 2024, there were nine transits, whereas in 2023 there were 11.

The last Navy ship to publicly enter the waters between China and Taiwan was in April.

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The US military said that the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS William P. Lawrence conducted a routine transit in the Taiwan Strait.

It said that the warship traversed through the waters where freedoms of navigation and overflight apply in accordance with international law.

While the US has been undertaking public transits in the South China Sea, the one in the Taiwan Strait is seen as Washington’s challenge to Beijing's maritime claims—and keep key shipping lanes open to all.

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China has repeatedly maintained that any foreign presence in the Strait would be dealt with militarily.

"What I want to emphasise is that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory. The Taiwan question is not a question of freedom of navigation but about China's sovereignty and territorial integrity. China firmly opposes any country that, in the name of freedom of navigation, provokes and threatens China’s sovereignty and security," Guo Jiakun, China's foreign ministry spokesman, said.