Japan’s Destroyer Patrols Taiwan Strait For The 1st Time To Send China A Message

Japan’s Self-Defense Force (SDF) destroyer, JS Sazanami, travelled across the Taiwan Strait on September 25, 2024.

Per the Japanese media, this was the first time a Japanese naval vessel had transited the sensitive area, which has intensified tensions between China and Japan.

The JS Sazanami entered the Taiwan Strait from the East China Sea on Wednesday morning and took over 10 hours to travel southward and complete the passage, according to Japanese newspaper Yomiuri.

The ship was then accompanied by Australian and New Zealand naval vessels ahead of joint military exercises in the South China Sea, which were scheduled to begin on September 26.

Japan has long avoided sailing through the Taiwan Strait to prevent conflict with China, which considers the strait and Taiwan to be part of its own territory.

Beijing, which claims authority over both, immediately criticized the transit. Lin Jian, a spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, reportedly stated that Japan’s actions violated the mutual understanding based on the One-China principle.

Jian said that China is “alert to the political intentions of the Japanese side” and advised Japan to stay away from actions that might “obstruct Sino-Japanese relations” or disrupt regional peace.

Japan has increased its defense operations in response to increasing Chinese military activities in the region.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi raised concern about China’s rising military presence within Japan’s airspace without confirming the specifics of the operation. “We have a strong sense of crisis,” Hayashi said, referring to China’s frequent airspace violations in a short period.

The passage also supports larger international efforts to maintain open navigation routes in the Taiwan Strait, a crucial commercial corridor. The United States and allies like Britain, Canada, and France regularly transited the waterway to challenge Beijing’s claims.

Germany recently sent navy ships across the strait for the first time in two decades, indicating Western opposition to China’s territorial claims.

Taiwan’s government, which rejects China’s sovereignty claims, has remained silent on the crossing. However, on Thursday, the island’s defense minister expressed concern about an increase in Chinese military activity, including live fire training in the area.

Naval vessels from Australia and New Zealand confirmed their transit across the Taiwan Strait on Wednesday, describing the action as routine and legal under international law.

However, Chinese officials remained on high alert, with Lin reiterating China’s alertness against moves that might risk its sovereignty and security.

Amidst heightened military activity in the region, China launched a rare intercontinental ballistic missile into the Pacific Ocean, and Australia, India, Japan, and the United States are working together to counter Beijing’s growing presence in Asia’s waters.

Reference: Reuters, JapanTimes

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Source: Maritime Shipping News