On Sunday, October 20th, American and Canadian warships sailed through the Taiwan Strait, sparking outrage from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The CCP’s military held a military exercise around Taiwan on October 14th, which was condemned by the United States, European countries, and Japan.
The Seventh Fleet of the U.S. Navy stated on Monday that the USS Higgins missile destroyer and the HMCS Vancouver escort ship from Canada routinely passed through the Taiwan Strait on Sunday. The sailing route falls under international waters and does not violate any coastal country’s territorial waters.
In a statement, the Seventh Fleet emphasized that the passage of the two warships through Taiwan demonstrates the commitment of the United States and Canada to uphold freedom of navigation for all nations.
“The international community’s rights and freedoms of navigation in the Taiwan Strait should not be restricted. Any sovereignty or jurisdiction claims that conflict with the freedom of navigation and overflight, as well as other legitimate use of maritime and airspace, will be rejected by the United States,” the statement said.
The last joint passage of U.S. and Canadian warships through the Taiwan Strait was in November of last year.
The joint passage of American and Canadian warships through the Taiwan Strait has once again angered the CCP. The CCP’s Eastern Theater Command issued a statement saying that the American and Canadian warships passing through the Taiwan Strait and openly promoting it prompted the Eastern Theater Command to monitor and respond to the actions in accordance with laws and regulations.
According to reports by the Kyodo News Agency, due to the CCP’s increased military pressure on Taiwan, the passage of American and Canadian warships through the Taiwan Strait aims to constrain the CCP.
Last Monday, the CCP conducted military exercises near Taiwan in a blockade-type scenario, drawing condemnation from the United States, the European Union, and other governments. Pentagon spokesperson Major General Patrick Ryder stated, “We are closely monitoring the Joint Sword 2024B exercises conducted by the PLA around Taiwan. These military pressure actions are irresponsible, disproportionate, and destabilizing.”
On Sunday, Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense reported that up to 6 Chinese military aircraft had been detected (including 2 instances of crossing the median line into the southwestern airspace of the Taiwan Strait) and 7 Chinese vessels were consistently active around the waters near Taiwan as of 6 a.m. The Ministry of National Defense reiterated that the Taiwanese military is closely monitoring and responding to these activities using mission aircraft, ships, and shore-based missile systems.