China has criticized the planned passage of the German warship “Baden-Württemberg“ across the Taiwan Strait, DPA reports, BTA broadcasts.
Mao Ning, spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, stressed that Beijing rejects any provocations and threats from countries that try to undermine China's sovereignty and security under the pretext of freedom of navigation.
„Taiwan is an integral part of China, and the waters of the Taiwan Strait are part of China's territorial waters,” Mao Ning stated. China considers Taiwan a breakaway province and its main goal is to bring the island back under its rule, DPA notes.
According to the German magazine “Spiegel“, the German frigate “Baden-Württemberg“ plans to cross the Taiwan Strait en route to the Philippine capital, Manila.
Other warships from various nations have also passed through the strait, prompting objections from Beijing.
The German navy did not comment on the ship's route for reasons of “operational security,” reports DPA.
„We use the right to freedom of international waters. Therefore, there is no reason to provide information about the route we are traveling on,” commented Rear Admiral Axel Schultz.
Currently the frigate “Baden-Württemberg“ and the combat support ship “Frankfurt am Main“ are located in South Korea, where they recently participated in the monitoring of UN sanctions against North Korea.
The frigate could be the first German warship to pass through the Taiwan Strait since 2002.
Meanwhile, China's Ministry of Defense announced plans for joint naval and air force exercises with Russia, the Associated Press reported.
According to the announcement, the exercises will take place in the Sea of Japan and Sea of Okhotsk, located further north.
The purpose of these exercises, organized by China, is to strengthen “the level of strategic coordination between the Chinese and Russian military forces and increase their ability to jointly respond to security threats.“
The two navies will also reportedly sail jointly in the Pacific.