An Australian warship sailed through the Taiwan Strait, a government source said on Sunday, marking the latest transit of the sensitive waterway by a US ally. Chinese state-backed media reported that the passage was tracked and monitored by the country’s military.
Beijing, which claims sovereignty over democratically governed Taiwan, views the narrow and strategically vital strait as its territorial waters and has at times reacted sharply to foreign naval movements there.
The Toowoomba, an Anzac-class frigate of the Royal Australian Navy, conducted a “routine transit through the Taiwan Strait” on Friday and Saturday as part of a “regional presence deployment in the Indo-Pacific,” the source said, adding that all interactions with foreign ships and aircraft were “safe and professional.”
China’s state-backed Global Times, citing an unnamed military source, said the People’s Liberation Army carried out “full-process tracking, monitoring, and alert operations” during the transit.
US warships pass through the strait periodically, often drawing criticism from Beijing. Several US allies — including France, Australia, Britain and Canada — have also undertaken occasional transits.
China has increased its military activities around Taiwan, most recently staging war games near the island in late December. Taiwan’s government rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims, maintaining that only the island’s people can determine their future.
Comments are closed.