Two German warships are set to pass through the Taiwan Strait in the middle of this month, becoming the first German naval vessels to do so in 22 years, Der Spiegel reported on Saturday.
Reuters last month reported that the warships, the frigate Baden-Wuerttemberg and the replenishment ship Frankfurt am Main, were awaiting orders from Berlin to sail the Strait, prompting a rebuke to Germany from Beijing.
Der Spiegel cited unspecified sources as saying Beijing would not be formally notified of the German ships’ passage to emphasize that Berlin views the trip as normal.
Photo: Reuters
The German Federal Ministry of Defense declined to comment.
While the US and other nations, including Canada, have sent warships through the Strait in the past few weeks, it would be the German Navy’s first passage since 2002.
China says it has jurisdiction over the nearly 180km-wide waterway between it and Taiwan.
As recently as late last month, the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Ralph Johnson transited the Taiwan Strait.
The US at the time said the transit through the Strait “demonstrates the US’ commitment to upholding freedom of navigation for all nations as a principle.”
The Taiwan Strait is a major trade route through which about half of global container ships pass, and both the US and Taiwan say it is an international waterway.
The commander of the German naval task group, Rear Admiral Axel Schulz, last month said that such a passage would demonstrate Germany’s commitment to a rules-based order and the peaceful solution of territorial conflicts.
“We are showing our flag here to demonstrate that we stand by our partners and friends, our commitment to the rules-based order, the peaceful solution of territorial conflicts and free and secure shipping lanes,” Schulz said at the time.
He said he expected China to closely monitor the passage.
“I expect the Chinese navy and potentially the coast guard or maritime militia to escort us,” he said, adding that it was common practice.
The two German vessels are participating in exercises in the region with France, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines and the US.
Foreign warships sailing through the waterway are regularly condemned by Beijing, which says they “undermine peace and stability” in the region.
Germany, for which both China and Taiwan are major trade partners, has joined other Western nations in expanding its military presence in the region in response to Beijing’s growing territorial ambitions.
A German warship in 2021 sailed through the South China Sea for the first time in almost 20 years.
The Luftwaffe, the aerial warfare branch of the German armed forces, last month deployed fighter jets to Japan for the first joint drills there.
‘NO SECURITY RISK’: The Railway Bureau reassured the public that the technicians’ activities were limited to technical guidance and did not involve sensitive systems The Railway Bureau yesterday said it had invited eight Chinese technicians to assist with an airport MRT construction project. The bureau issued the confirmation after an Internet user said Chinese nationals had entered the construction zone of Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport’s Terminal 3 project. They asked why “individuals from an enemy state” were allowed access to such a major national infrastructure project, which raised serious concerns over Taiwan’s industrial safety, sensitive systems and information security. The bureau’s Northern Region Engineering Branch Office said subcontractor Taiwan Handle Industrial Co (台灣手把工業) of the Taoyuan airport MRT’s “Contract No. CU05 Project A14 Station Civil, MEP &
A US uncrewed surface vessel (USV) encountered multiple Chinese warships during an autonomous transit of the Taiwan Strait, US defense company Seasats said in a statement on Wednesday. Seasats announced that a Lightfish USV had completed the first autonomous transit of the Taiwan Strait. Over five days, the USV traversed the entire length of the Strait while constantly monitoring surface vessel traffic, the company said. The Lightfish encountered multiple Chinese warships, one of which was a Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) Type 056 corvette, it said. The Chinese vessels were operating “well within Taiwan’s exclusive economic zone without transmitting their identity via the
Taiwan is still in the process of assessing the possibility of recruiting workers from Eswatini, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday, adding that its goal is to help Eswatini upgrade its vocational training centers. If there are plans to recruit workers from Eswatini, safeguarding national security, protecting public health and ensuring the employment rights of Taiwanese would be prerequisites, Department of West Asian and African Affairs Director-General Yen Chia-liang (顏嘉良) told a news conference. Key considerations would also include filling labor shortages in specific industries, and fostering bilateral professional and technical exchanges, he said. Yen was asked about the progress of labor
The nation’s usually punctual high-speed rail system yesterday was hit by major disruptions after all scheduled services were canceled and replaced with three hourly trains offering only non-reserved seating, affecting more than 200,000 passengers. Preliminary findings indicate the disruption was caused by a faulty power module in a track switch control cabinet, Taiwan High-Speed Rail Corp (THSRC) said, adding that as a full system inspection could only be conducted after operations end for the day, a decision on whether normal service would resume today would be announced before the first train departs. During a routine inspection early yesterday, a switch signal abnormality
RSS