A transit of the Taiwan Strait by Canadian and Australian naval vessels “sent out wrong signals and heightened security risks,” China said Saturday, as Western militaries continue to assert their right to pass through the disputed waters despite repeated protestations by Beijing.
The Canadian frigate HMCS Ville de Quebec, accompanied by the Australian destroyer HMAS Brisbane, transited the waters separating democratic Taiwan from China’s east coast on Saturday morning, closely followed by Chinese naval and air forces.
In a statement, Colonel Shi Yi, a spokesman for the eastern theatre command of the People’s Liberation Army, called the transit “provocative,” and said his forces “remain on high alert at all times” to “resolutely safeguard China’s national sovereignty.”
Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defence said 21 Chinese aircraft, including drones, as well as six warships, had been detected in the Strait on Saturday, adding it was “closely monitoring” the situation.
The Decibel: On board a Canadian warship in the Pacific
Canada regards the Taiwan Strait as international waters, as do most Western countries and the government of Taiwan. In recent years, the United States and allied militaries have asserted their right to transit the strait as part of “freedom of navigation” exercises, infuriating Beijing, which has increased its military presence in the sensitive waters as part of a pressure campaign against Taiwan, which China claims sovereignty over.
The Canadian military does not typically publicize or comment on such actions, but Saturday’s transit appears to be the since February, and the first under Prime Minister Mark Carney, who has attempted to repair relations with Beijing that frayed under his predecessor Justin Trudeau.
HMCS Ville de Quebec, a Halifax-class frigate, has been deployed to the Western Pacific since April, on what Ottawa describes as a “forward-presence mission to the Indo-Pacific region to promote peace, stability, and the rules-based international order.”
“This deployment further demonstrates the Canadian Armed Forces’ commitment to international peace and security efforts through operational excellence,” Lieutenant-General Steve Boivin, Commander Canadian Joint Operations Command, said at the time of the deployment. “Our ability to integrate seamlessly with our allies makes us a valued partner in maintaining global stability.”
Prior to the Taiwan Strait transit, the vessel previously attracted China’s ire for taking part in joint drills with the Philippines, Australia and the U.S. in the South China Sea, where Beijing is engaged in multiple increasingly-hostile territorial disputes with its neighbours.
According to the Philippines military, the exercises took place near the disputed Scarborough Shoal, where Chinese and Philippines vessels have had numerous clashes in recent months, as the PLA attempts to assert its control over the strategic reefs.
In a statement, General Romeo Brawner, chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, said the drill “reaffirms our collective resolve to protect our seas and uphold a rules-based international order.”
“We will continue to build on this foundation of trust, proving that we are indeed stronger together,” he added.
The exercise took place Wednesday as China was holding a massive military parade in Beijing, where the PLA showed off cutting-edge hardware, including its air, sea and land-launched “nuclear triad” for the first time.