Canadian frigate the Ville de Quebec and Australian guided-missile destroyer the Brisbane transited the Taiwan Strait yesterday morning, the first time the two nations have conducted a joint freedom of navigation operation.
The Canadian and Australian militaries did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The Ministry of National Defense declined to confirm the passage, saying only that Taiwan’s armed forces had deployed surveillance and reconnaissance assets, along with warships and combat aircraft, to safeguard security across the Strait.
Photo: AFP
The two vessels were observed transiting northward along the eastern side of the Taiwan Strait’s median line, with Japan being their most likely destination, a naval expert said on condition of anonymity.
The Ville de Quebec is equipped with advanced anti-submarine and air defense systems, while the Brisbane features the US-designed Aegis Combat System, which incorporates state-of-the-art Active Electronically Scanned Array radar technology, they said.
The Australian destroyer’s participation signaled Washington’s readiness to see Indo-Pacific region partners assume a greater role in regional security, as freedom of navigation operations in the Taiwan Strait have until now been carried out primarily by the US and Canada, they added.
Canadian media reported that the Ville de Quebec recently took part in another freedom of navigation operation alongside Philippine, Australian and US warships, with the three nations’ navies later conducting drills near the Scarborough Shoal (Huangyan Island, 黃岩島).
The Canadian Department of National Defense said in a statement that the exercise was conducted in line with international maritime law and with due regard for navigational safety.
The operation drew a sharp response from Beijing. A spokesperson for the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) Southern Theater Command said the Philippines was “soliciting foreign countries to conduct so-called joint patrols” and “undermining regional peace and stability,” the Australian reported.
Meanwhile, China’s state-run Global Times newspaper confirmed in a report yesterday that two warships from Canada and Australia transited the Taiwan Strait.
“The PLA maintained full surveillance and monitoring throughout the transit, with the situation fully under control,” the paper said.
Chen Shih-min (陳世民), an associate professor of political science at National Taiwan University, said the joint Canadian-Australian operation could be interpreted as a pointed response to Beijing’s military parade on Wednesday, which Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) attended alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
The transit sends a message that China’s alignment with Russia, North Korea and Iran would not deter the West from defending freedom of navigation, Chen said.
Despite uncertainties surrounding US President Donald Trump, Western democracies remain broadly united, with other democratic nations increasingly eager to align with them to safeguard their security, he said.
These developments are positive for Taiwan, he added.
Transits of foreign warships through the Taiwan Strait have become an increasingly common and accepted practice, often taking place as part of naval exercises, Institute for National Defense and Security Research analyst Shu Hsiao-huang (舒孝煌) said.
Given that Canadian and Australian vessels had already been conducting drills together in regional waters and were likely bound for Japan, the decision to sail through the Strait was a logical extension of their operations, he said.
The coordinated passage also indicates that the two nations had developed an understanding on the transit, pointing to a deeper level of military cooperation between their armed forces, Shu added.
Additional reporting by Reuters
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