In a move underscoring its stance on maintaining an open Indo-Pacific region, Canada recently saw one of its warships traverse the contentious waters of the Taiwan Strait. This passage, undertaken by the HMCS Montreal frigate on July 31, sparked a critical response from China, which accused Canada of jeopardizing regional peace with this naval maneuver.
Canada’s defense ministry characterized the transit as routine, with the defense minister emphasizing it as a demonstration of Canada’s unwavering commitment to a “free, open, and inclusive” Indo-Pacific region.
“As outlined in our Indo-Pacific Strategy, Canada is increasing the presence of the Royal Canadian Navy in the Indo-Pacific region,” Defence Minister Bill Blair said, referring to Canada’s plan for the region announced in 2022.
Li Xi, a spokesperson for the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) Eastern Theater Command, said the passage of the Canadian frigate on July 31 had “harassed and disrupted the situation and undermined peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.”
China, asserting sovereignty over Taiwan, claims jurisdiction over the approximately 180-kilometer-wide waterway separating Taiwan from mainland China. This assertion is contested by both Taiwan and the United States, who argue that the Taiwan Strait constitutes international waters. It is not uncommon for U.S. warships, and sometimes U.S. Navy patrol aircraft, to navigate these straits, with such transits occurring roughly monthly.
Canadian naval appearances in the Taiwan Strait are less frequent. However, last November, a notable joint transit occurred involving the U.S. destroyer USS Rafael Peralta and the Canadian frigate HMCS Ottawa. The previous June saw a more dramatic encounter during a joint U.S.-Canada drill when a Chinese warship came within 150 yards of a U.S. destroyer, an act the Pentagon criticized as perilously unsafe.
Amidst these tensions, Taiwan’s defence ministry issued a statement on Thursday affirming that its military maintained comprehensive control over the sea and airspace around the Canadian frigate during its north-to-south passage. The ministry assured that the situation remained normal throughout the transit.