US spy plane flies through the Taiwan Strait days after German warships angered China by sailing through

The event comes on the heels of German Navy vessels transiting the Taiwan Strait last week for the first time in over 20 years. They chose that route because it was the shortest to the Philippines, and the Taiwan Strait is international waters.

The transit drew complaints and criticisms from China, with a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson saying ” we firmly oppose any act of provocation under the pretext of freedom of navigation that harms China’s sovereignty and security.”

The Taiwan Strait is a trade route and international waterway. While the US and its allies have maintained that the route is open for freedom of navigation, and most countries acknowledge the right to “innocent passage” without notice, China views regulation of the strait differently and believes countries should navigate it in accordance with both Chinese and international laws.

The US P-8A Poseidon that recently passed through the area is a highly advanced maritime patrol and anti-submarine warfare aircraft widely considered to be one of the most sophisticated maritime patrol planes in operation.

The plane first entered service in 2013 and succeeded the older P-3 Orion. P-8As feature various technical and reconnaissance capabilities for detecting, tracking, and engaging submarines and vessels, as well as conducting surveillance.

The US Navy regularly flies these planes in international airspace. Its allies, too, have trained on the aircraft and flown it in various exercises and missions. Back in July, a Royal Australian Air Force P-8A, for instance, tracked a US Navy nuclear submarine off Hawaii in a joint exercise.