US, Canada assert naval presence in Taiwan strait

A Canadian frigate and a U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer sailed through the Taiwan Strait on Sunday, just days after China concluded extensive military exercises in the region.

The USS Higgins and HMCS Vancouver navigated the crucial 110-mile waterway, which separates Taiwan from mainland China, as part of a routine transit, according to a news release from the U.S. 7th Fleet.

This operation highlights ongoing international efforts to uphold freedom of navigation in an area that China claims jurisdiction over. The 7th Fleet emphasized, “Higgins and Vancouver’s transit through the Taiwan Strait demonstrated the United States’ and Canada’s commitment to upholding freedom of navigation for all nations as a principle. The international community’s navigational rights and freedoms in the Taiwan Strait should not be limited.”

China, however, responded to the transit with criticism. The Eastern Theater Command stated that it had mobilized ships and aircraft to monitor the vessels, calling the joint mission by the U.S. and Canada “disturbing” and “disrupting the peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait.” Command spokesman Col. Li Xi warned, “The theater troops are always on high alert and resolutely defend national sovereignty and security and regional peace and stability.”

This naval passage comes shortly after China’s military conducted Joint Sword 2024B, a series of exercises involving over two dozen ships and a record 153 warplanes in the skies around Taiwan. These drills were seen as a show of force following Taiwan President Lai Ching-te’s National Day address on October 10, where he affirmed Taiwan’s sovereignty and pledged to maintain regional peace while rejecting China’s claim to represent the island.

The Taiwan Strait has increasingly become a focal point of geopolitical tension, with allies like Japan, Australia, and Germany also participating in similar transits. In September, a Japanese destroyer was notably accompanied by vessels from New Zealand and Australia, marking a significant expansion of naval cooperation in the area. As military maneuvers intensify, the balance of power in the Taiwan Strait remains a critical concern for regional stability.