Canada and Australia sent warships into the Taiwan Strait on Friday, September 5th, a day after Beijing criticized the two countries for participating in military exercises in the South China Sea which China claims is increasing tensions.
According to a report by Canadian television network CTV News, the Canadian Navy frigate HMCS Ville de Quebec and the Australian missile destroyer HMAS Brisbane entered the Taiwan Strait early Saturday local time. The automatic identification system showed the two warships passing through sensitive waters that China claims sovereignty over. While the Canadian Department of National Defence has not officially confirmed the mission, a spokesperson for the Canadian Joint Operations Command stated that Ottawa would release a statement on Saturday night.
Earlier this week, Canada, Australia, the Philippines, and the United States conducted a multilateral “Maritime Cooperative Activity” in the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines, aiming to uphold freedom of navigation, overflight, and other lawful uses of the sea. The Canadian Department of National Defence stated that the exercise was conducted “in full accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, while keeping in mind navigational safety.”
However, on September 4th, the Southern Theater Command of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army issued a statement through state media condemning the exercises as “destabilizing” and emphasized that they would closely guard and maintain their claimed sovereignty and maritime rights.
In February of this year, the Canadian Navy frigate HMCS Ottawa transited the Taiwan Strait, which also led to protests from the Chinese military, claiming they monitored and “effectively handled” the situation. In response, the Taiwan Ministry of National Defense stated that the Taiwan Strait is international waters and that China’s military actions to create tensions are the “biggest threat” to peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.
The Canadian military had previously refused to disclose whether their ships would pass through the Taiwan Strait. Wyatt Shorter, a spokesperson for the Canadian Joint Operations Command, stated in response to CTV’s inquiry that for operational security reasons, they would not reveal the sailing plans of active warships. He emphasized that the HMCS Ville de Quebec is carrying out “Operation Horizon,” aimed at maintaining peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region in accordance with international law.
The HMCS Ville de Quebec was deployed to the Indo-Pacific region in April of this year, with around 240 personnel and a Royal Canadian Air Force CH-148 Cyclone helicopter on board. Canada’s actions are seen as a continued commitment to cooperating with allies to uphold the “Free and Open Indo-Pacific” initiative.