China’s military has condemned the passage of a Canadian warship through the Taiwan Strait, claiming that its air and naval forces closely monitored and issued warnings to the vessel. This incident follows a similar mission conducted by U.S. Navy ships just days earlier.
The Taiwan Strait is considered an international waterway by the U.S., Canada, and other allied nations, but China, which claims Taiwan as part of its territory, asserts sovereignty over the strategic waterway. The Chinese military labeled Canada’s actions as “deliberately stirring up trouble” and warned that its forces would continue to respond resolutely to any provocations.
Canada’s military did not immediately comment on the incident, but both the Chinese and Taiwanese governments identified the ship as the Ottawa. Taiwan’s defense ministry confirmed that the ship sailed in a northerly direction and stated that Taiwanese forces were also monitoring the situation.
Taiwan’s foreign ministry expressed support for Canada’s actions, calling them a demonstration of a firm stance that the Taiwan Strait remains international waters. Taiwan has long complained of China’s growing military presence near the island.
In the last 24 hours, Taiwan’s defense ministry reported detecting 41 Chinese military aircraft and nine ships in proximity to the island, with a heavy concentration of activity in the strait and southwest of Taiwan.
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This follows a pattern of frequent naval passages by U.S. and allied ships through the Taiwan Strait, despite China’s objections and repeated military maneuvers near Taiwan. Taiwan, which maintains a democratic government, continues to reject Beijing’s sovereignty claims, asserting that only its people can decide their future.
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