(Taipei) Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said Thursday that a Canadian warship sailed through the Taiwan Strait, which separates the self-ruled island from mainland China, the previous day.
China claims democratically-ruled Taiwan as part of its territory and says it is ready to retake it by force if necessary.
The naval forces of the United States and its Western allies have increased their passages through the strait under the “freedom of navigation” banner, angering Beijing.
Taipei said Thursday that the Canadian ship entered the strait on Wednesday and headed south.
“The army has been monitoring the situation and nothing abnormal has been detected in our environment,” the Defense Ministry said.
The Canadian frigate HMCS “recently conducted a routine transit through the Taiwan Strait,” Canadian Joint Operations Command confirmed on social media platform X, without specifying a date.
“Canada supports the rules-based international order by acting in accordance with international law,” the statement said, asserting that “our activities promote peace, resilience and security in the Indo-Pacific region.”
Warships from the United States and Canada sailed through the Taiwan Strait in November and September, prompting the Chinese military to declare itself on “high alert.”
Chinese warships sail through Taiwanese waters almost daily, according to Taipei, which also says it has recorded sorties by drones and fighter jets around the island.
On Thursday, Taiwan’s Defense Ministry reported 29 Chinese military aircraft and 10 warships detected in the 24 hours leading up to 6 a.m. (6 p.m. Eastern Time).