• Two German navy ships sailed through the Taiwan Strait for the first time in over 20 years.
• China criticized the move, saying it condemned excuses for violating Chinese sovereignty.
• Cross-strait tensions are high as China continues its aggressive tactics to bring Taiwan under its control.

Two German navy ships have sailed through the Taiwan Strait, the first such move in over 20 years.

Despite China’s complaints and criticisms, Germany said that it had a right to transit the strait, which is international waters. This stance aligns with the US and other Western allies.

The German first-in-class frigate Baden-Württemberg and the supply ship Berlin-class Frankfurt am Main sailed the Taiwan Strait on Friday. The transit was confirmed by German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius.

“International waters are international waters,” he said at a press conference in Berlin. “It’s the shortest and, given the weather conditions, the safest route. So we are passing through.”

Taiwan’s Defense Ministry also said on Friday morning the ships were navigating south through the strait, adding that its forces had been monitoring the vessels and that the situation “remained normal.”

The Taiwan Strait, located between mainland China and the sovereign island nation, is a busy trade route and international waterway. The US and its allies and partners, including Taiwan, maintain the strait is open for freedom of navigation. Most countries acknowledge the right to “innocent passage” without notice. China, which has long sought to bring Taiwan under its control, is of a different opinion.

Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Mao Ning criticized Pistorius’ comment on freely navigating the strait.

“The Taiwan question is not about freedom of navigation but about China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. We respect countries’ right to navigation in relevant waters in accordance with China’s laws and international law, including UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea),” Mao said Friday.

“But we firmly oppose any act of provocation under the pretext of freedom of navigation that harms China’s sovereignty and security,” she added, repeating a point she made prior to the transit.

Earlier this week, the Chinese foreign ministry reiterated the waters of the strait are Chinese. “The waters of the Taiwan Strait, from both shores toward the middle of the Strait, are China’s internal waters, then territorial sea, then contiguous zone, and then exclusive economic zone,” Mao said, adding that countries should navigate the area in accordance with Chinese and international laws.

The US Navy often sails vessels through the Taiwan Strait, and other nations have also used the waterway for their warships, much to Beijing’s irritation.

Last month, the Canadian HMCS Montréal “conducted a routine transit” through the waters in a move supporting a “free, open, and inclusive” Indo-Pacific region. In 2021, the UK held a similar sentiment when it sailed the HMS Richmond frigate through the waters on a trip from Japan to Vietnam.

And in a first for France, the French Vendémiaire frigate passed through the Taiwan Strait in 2019, drawing China’s ire.

Cross-strait relations are notably tense at the moment after the election of Lai Ching-te and increased Chinese military exercises and incursions into Taiwan’s waters and airspace.

China hasn’t ruled out using force to take control of Taiwan, and its ongoing aggressive behavior continues to raise concerns, particularly among the US and its allies about a potential invasion or blockade.