Australian Warship Transits Taiwan Strait, Chinese Navy Tracks Frigate In High-Stakes Indo-Pacific Move

An Australian warship sailed through the Taiwan Strait on February 21-22 as part of a regional deployment in the Indo-Pacific, according to an Australian government source.

Chinese state-backed media later reported that the Chinese military tracked and monitored the vessel throughout its passage.

The transit adds to growing naval activity in one of the world’s most strategically sensitive waterways, where tensions between China, Taiwan and Western allies continue to influence security in the region.

The vessel involved was HMAS Toowoomba, an Anzac-class frigate of the Royal Australian Navy.

Officials said the ship carried out a routine transit through the Taiwan Strait as part of a Regional Presence Deployment in the Indo-Pacific. The passage took place over Friday and Saturday.

The source said all interactions with foreign ships and aircraft were safe and professional.

Anzac-class frigates are multi-role warships designed for anti-submarine, anti-surface and air defense operations.

The frigate class is a key part of Australia’s surface fleet and regularly takes part in joint naval drills and regional patrols.

China’s state-run Global Times, citing an unnamed military source, reported that the People’s Liberation Army conducted “full-process tracking, monitoring and alert operations” during the transit.

Beijing considers the Taiwan Strait to be part of its territorial waters. It has often objected to foreign warships sailing through the 180-kilometer-wide waterway that separates mainland China from Taiwan.

China has increased naval and air patrols around Taiwan in recent years. Its latest large-scale military exercises around the island were conducted in late December.

The ministry said the Taiwan Strait is an international waterway where all countries have the right to freedom of navigation under international law. It added that it does not usually disclose the movements of allied military ships or aircraft.

Taiwan’s government continues to reject Beijing’s sovereignty claims. It maintains that only the island’s 23 million people can decide their future.

US Navy warships sail through the Taiwan Strait every few months, often drawing criticism from Beijing. Other allies, including France, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, have also made similar transits in recent years.

Western governments say these sailings support freedom of navigation under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). China views them as provocative.

The Taiwan Strait is one of the world’s busiest maritime routes. Major container shipping and energy cargoes move through nearby waters linking Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia and the wider Indo-Pacific.

References: Reuters, CNA

Source: Maritime Shipping News