Two warships from Canada and Australia have transited the Taiwan Strait, an operation that was closely monitored by China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA). According to a report from China’s state-run Global Times, the vessels involved were the Canadian frigate Ville de Québec and the Australian guided-missile destroyer Brisbane. The waterway separates mainland China from the self-ruled island of Taiwan, which Beijing claims as part of its territory.
The PLA maintained constant surveillance over the allied vessels throughout their passage. The Global Times stated that the situation was “fully under control,” emphasizing China’s close watch over the transit. The governments of Canada and Australia, as well as Taiwan’s Defence Ministry, did not immediately provide comment to Reuters requests regarding the operation.
This transit is part of a recurring pattern where the U.S. Navy, along with ships from allied nations such as Britain, France, Canada, and Australia, navigate the strait. These nations operate on the principle that the Taiwan Strait is an international waterway, and they conduct such transits approximately once a month to assert this position.
The status of the Taiwan Strait remains a point of significant geopolitical contention. While Taiwan and its allies view the strait as international waters open to innocent passage, the Chinese government asserts it as part of its territorial seas. This recurring activity underscores the ongoing tensions in the region, with China consistently opposing what it perceives as provocations and challenges to its sovereignty.
