Taipei detects 24 Chinese aircraft as Canadian ship transits Taiwan Strait
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It was the first Canadian naval vessel to transit the waterway in 2025, Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry said.
PHOTO: AFP
TAIPEI – Taiwan said it detected 24 Chinese military aircraft near the island on Feb 16 as a Canadian warship passed through the sensitive Taiwan Strait.
It was the first Canadian naval vessel to transit the waterway in 2025, Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry said, and came days after two US ships made the passage.
The US and its allies regularly pass through the 180km Taiwan Strait to reinforce its status as an international waterway, angering China.
Beijing has never ruled Taiwan, but it claims the democratic island as part of its territory and has threatened to bring it under its control by force.
“The Royal Canadian Navy’s Halifax-class frigate HMCS Ottawa sailed through the Taiwan Strait on Feb 16,” Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
“Canada has once again taken concrete action to uphold the Taiwan Strait’s freedom, peace and openness, demonstrating its firm stance that the strait is international waters,” it added.
Taiwan’s Defence Ministry said on Feb 16 that 24 Chinese aircraft, including fighter jets and drones, were detected carrying “joint combat readiness patrols” with military vessels around the island.
During the Canadian warship’s passage, China’s military radioed the ship and warned it to change course, Taiwanese media reported.
A US destroyer and an ocean survey ship travelled through the strait starting on Feb 10, drawing criticism from China’s military, which said it sent the “wrong signal and increased security risks”.
Data published by the Taiwan Defence Ministry showed that 62 Chinese military aircraft were detected near the island in the 48 hours to 6am local time on Feb 12, coinciding with the US ships’ transit.
Washington’s latest passage through the Taiwan Strait was the first time since US President Donald Trump took office in January. It came after Mr Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said they “opposed any attempts to unilaterally change the status quo (in the Taiwan Strait) by force or coercion”. AFP
