Beijing: China’s military has condemned the recent passage of a Canadian warship through the Taiwan Strait, accusing Ottawa of provoking tensions in the region.
The People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) Eastern Theatre Command stated that its air and naval forces closely monitored the Canadian vessel, issuing warnings during the transit.
The patrol by HMCS Ottawa occurred shortly after U.S. Navy ships conducted a similar operation in the strait, which Washington and its allies view as international waters. While Taiwan also recognizes the strait as an international waterway, Beijing claims full sovereignty over the strategic passage, viewing such transits as a challenge to its authority.
In a statement, the PLA accused Canada of “deliberately stirring up trouble” and vowed to maintain heightened readiness to confront any perceived threats.
Taiwan welcomed the Canadian naval operation, describing it as a firm demonstration of support for a free and open Indo-Pacific. “Canada has once again taken concrete action to uphold freedom of navigation in the Taiwan Strait,” Taiwan’s foreign ministry said.
The transit comes amid heightened military activity in the region. Taiwan’s defense ministry reported detecting 41 Chinese military aircraft and nine warships around the island over the past 24 hours, with maneuvers concentrated in the Taiwan Strait and southwest of the island.
The ministry strongly rejected Beijing’s claims over the strait, asserting that it is not part of China’s territorial waters. “Attempts by China to manufacture tensions pose a genuine threat to global security,” the ministry declared, emphasizing that stability in the Taiwan Strait is a matter of global concern for democratic nations.
