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For the first time in decades, a Japanese destroyer has reportedly crossed the Taiwan Strait.
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It reportedly passed at the same time as Australian and New Zealand naval vessels.
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China criticized Germany earlier this month for sending its own warships through the waters.
A Japanese destroyer passed through the Taiwan Strait for the first time in decades, the Japanese newspaper Yomiuri reported reportedreferring to Japanese government officials.
The JS Sazanami, a destroyer The ship, operated by Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Force (MSDF), entered the strait from the East China Sea on Wednesday morning and completed its journey that evening, officials speaking to the newspaper said.
The report said it was the first time a Japanese naval vessel had passed through the strait since the establishment of the Self-Defense Force, which was established in 1954.
According to the officials, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida ordered the measure as a countermeasure against China.
Kyoto Newsthe Japanese news agency, and NHKthe Japanese public broadcaster, also reported on the development.
During a press conference On Thursday, Japanese Interior Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi said he would not comment on the reports, but said China’s military activities around Taiwan were “expanding” and that Japan was watching the situation with “very strong” interest.
At the same time, Australian and New Zealand naval vessels also passed through the strait ahead of joint exercises with the MSDF in the South China Sea, the reports said.
An Australian Defence Force spokesperson told Business Insider that two of its naval vessels made routine transit through the strait, adding that the Australian Defence Force’s activities are conducted in accordance with international law.
“Our engagement in the region demonstrates our commitment to supporting an open, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific region,” the spokespeople said.
The Japanese Foreign Ministry and New Zealand’s Defense Ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
It is not the first time in recent weeks that international ships have crossed the Taiwan Strait.
Two German warships sailed allowed again earlier this month for the first time in twenty years, when the country’s prime minister said they had the right to use public transport.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said during a press conference at the time that “international waters are international waters.”
He added: “It’s the shortest and, given the weather conditions, the safest route. So we’re going through it.”
The US and its allies and partners, including Taiwan, claim the strait is open to free navigation, but China sees it differently.
During a press conference China’s Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday it is “highly vigilant about Japan’s political intentions behind this move.”
Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian told reporters that “the Taiwan issue concerns China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” adding that it is the political foundation of China-Japan relations and a red line that should not be crossed.
China continues to assert its undisputed sovereignty over Taiwan, an autonomous island democracy, and continues to exert military, economic and diplomatic pressure. The threat of force to achieve unification is ever present.
According to updated shared through Taiwan defense ministryNowadays, Chinese planes, vessels and ships circle Taiwan almost daily, sometimes crossing the center line of the strait, forcing Taiwan to chase its planes.
The last updated show an increase in Chinese aircraft and vessels being deployed and passing through Taiwan’s air defense identification zone.
Military experts say signs – such as China’s rapid modernization of its armed forces over the past two decades and exercises around Taiwan – point to a possible military action to take the island by force, possibly within a few years.
Read the original article at Company Insider
