US aircraft transits Strait ahead of Xi-Trump meet

By Ben Blanchard / Reuters Add TT as Preferred Source A US Navy P-8A Poseidon aircraft transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace on Friday, in a move the US 7th Fleet said “demonstrates the US’ commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.”The Chinese military tracked and monitored the patrol and reconnaissance aircraft throughout the transit, the state-backed Global Times newspaper reported, citing a military source, saying the “situation was under control.”US military ships or aircraft pass through or above the waterway that separates Taiwan from China every few months. A US Navy Boeing P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft is pictured in an undated photograph. Photo: Reuters Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) is expected to visit the US next month to meet US President Donald