Two German warships passed through the Taiwan Strait for the first time in two decades, the Associated Press reported, writes BTA.
China makes territorial claims to the self-governing island of Taiwan, which it considers its sovereign territory.
The United States, Australia, Canada, Great Britain and France regularly conduct so-called “freedom of navigation” in the Taiwan Strait to counter Chinese territorial claims and emphasize that the waters of the strait have international status.
Taiwan's Ministry of Defense confirmed on the social network “X“ that the frigate “Baden-Württemberg“ and the ship “Frankfurt am Main“ have crossed the strait from north to south.
A German naval frigate and a supply ship each sailed through the Taiwan Strait from north to south today. During this period, #ROCArmedForces maintained full control over our surrounding sea and airspace, and the situation remained normal.
— 國防部 Ministry of National Defense, ROC(Taiwan) 🇹🇼 (@MoNDefense) September 13, 2024
China, which often reacts sharply to the passage of American warships through the strait, reacted a little less this time, AP said.
China's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told reporters that for Beijing, “the Taiwan issue is not a freedom of navigation issue, but an issue related to China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity”.
China “firmly opposes provocations that threaten China's sovereignty and security in the name of freedom of navigation,” she said.
Three years ago, the European Union launched a new strategy for the Asia-Pacific region aimed at strengthening economic, political and defense ties. Some of them were aimed at improving maritime security and ensuring safe passage through sea lanes.
China claims Taiwan as part of its territory, and President Xi Jinping has not ruled out taking it by force.