Canadian warship sails through Taiwan Strait

TAIPEI (AFP) — Taiwan’s defense ministry said Thursday that a Canadian warship sailed a day earlier through the Taiwan Strait, a sensitive waterway separating the democratic island from China.

China claims self-ruled Taiwan as part of its territory and has stepped up military and political pressure as relations have plunged in recent years.

The navies of the United States and its Western allies, meanwhile, have increased “freedom of navigation” crossings through the strait to reinforce its status as an international waterway, angering Beijing.

Taipei said Thursday that the Canadian ship’s transit took place Wednesday, with the warship traveling “from north to south.”

“The military has monitored the situation and no anomaly was detected in our surroundings,” the defense ministry statement said.

Li Xi, a spokesperson for the Chinese military’s Eastern Theater Command, condemned the passage.

“Canada’s actions disturbed the situation and undermined peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait,” Li said.

“(Our) troops are always on high alert and ready to respond to any threats and provocations at any time,” he added.

The Halifax-class frigate “HMCS Montreal recently conducted a routine transit through the Taiwan Strait,” the Canadian Joint Operations Command confirmed on social media platform X without providing a date.