On Monday, China’s military strongly criticized Canada for sending a warship through the Taiwan Strait, a busy waterway that China claims as part of its territory. The Chinese military said it had been closely watching the ship with both air and naval forces and warned the Canadian ship during its journey. This move by Canada came just a few days after US Navy ships sailed through the same area.
Ships from countries like the US, Canada, Britain, and France regularly pass through the Taiwan Strait, about once a month. These countries see it as an international waterway, meaning it’s open to all countries. Taiwan also believes the strait is international, but China claims that it belongs to them because they view Taiwan as part of China, even though Taiwan has its own government.
China’s military said Canada’s actions were meant to “stir up trouble” and that they are bad for peace and stability in the region. They also warned that China’s forces are always on high alert to stop any threats or provocations.
The Canadian military didn’t respond right away to China’s statements.
Both China and Taiwan identified the warship as the “Ottawa” from Canada. Taiwan’s defense ministry said the ship was heading north, and their forces were keeping a close eye on it. Taiwan also showed support for Canada’s decision. Taiwan’s foreign ministry said that Canada is helping to protect the freedom and peace of the Taiwan Strait by treating it as international waters.
Taiwan has often complained about China’s military activities near its borders. Taiwan’s defense ministry reported that in the last 24 hours, it spotted 41 Chinese military aircraft and 9 Chinese ships around the island, especially in the Taiwan Strait and the waters southwest of Taiwan.
This is not the first time US and Canadian warships have passed through the Taiwan Strait. In fact, last October, both countries sent warships through the strait together, just after China held military exercises around Taiwan.
Taiwan, which has its own elected government, rejects China’s claim that it belongs to China. Taiwan believes that only its people should decide the island’s future.
