Although there was no immediate response from China, last month the military condemned the US and Canada for sending a warship each through the Taiwan Strait, calling the action a threat to peace and stability in the region. China claims Taiwan as its own territory and has mounted repeated air force missions into the latter country’s air defense identification zone over the past year or so. The US, like most countries, has no formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan but remains its most important international backer. The US also regularly supplies arms to Taiwan. Beijing has referred to Taiwan as one of the most sensitive and important issues in its relationship with Washington. The US has been conducting transits through the strait on a monthly basis, along with occasional allies.