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China’s military stated it dispatched naval and air forces to shadow Canadian and Australian warships that transited the Taiwan Strait over the weekend, denouncing the passage as “provocations.”
**Why It Matters**
Beijing claims sovereignty over the strait by virtue of its claim to democratic Taiwan. However, Taipei, Washington, and many other governments regard the Taiwan Strait—as less than 100 miles wide at its narrowest—as international waters.
For years, the United States—and increasingly Australia, Canada, and other allies with a naval presence in the region—have been carrying out multiple transits through the strait as a challenge to Beijing’s position, which they view as incompatible with freedom of navigation under international law.
**What To Know**
Shi Yi, spokesperson for the People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command, said the transits amounted to “disturbances and provocations.” He claimed that upon detecting their presence, the Eastern Theater Command deployed air and naval assets to monitor the ships during their passage.
The Canadian defense department spokesperson confirmed the transit of the Canadian Halifax-class frigate HMCS Ville de Québec and Australian Hobart-class guided-missile destroyer HMAS Brisbane. The spokesperson told Reuters it took place Saturday and Sunday “in accordance with international law.” The HMAS Brisbane is on a regional presence deployment to the Indo-Pacific region, consistent with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
Early Monday, the Canadian Joint Operations Command echoed Australia’s statement: “Canada supports a free and open Indo-Pacific.”
**What Happens Next**
U.S. and allied transits are expected to continue amid flaring cross-strait tensions. China has been ratcheting up pressure on Taiwan through near-daily sorties across the midline of the strait and large-scale military exercises targeting the Democratic Progressive Party government in Taipei.
China has pledged unification with Taiwan is inevitable and has not ruled out the use of force to achieve this goal.
