Two German Navy ships are set to transit the international waters of the Taiwan Strait in September 2024, becoming the first German military vessels to do so in 22 years, according to reports. The routine operation will demonstrate Berlin’s commitment to open navigation, the head of the naval task force said.
“Safe and secure sea lanes, especially from Southeast Asia as well as to Europe and America, are a prerequisite for a prosperous economy of all our countries,” German Navy Rear Adm. Axel Schulz said at a reception aboard the frigate FGS Baden-Württemberg during its port visit to Incheon, South Korea.
Nations including Canada and the United States also have sent naval ships through the strait in recent weeks.
The People’s Republic of China (PRC) claims Taiwan as its territory and threatens to annex it by force. Beijing also contends it has jurisdiction over the nearly 180-kilometer-wide waterway between the self-governed island and mainland China, a claim that is widely dismissed.
The Taiwan Strait is a global trade route, transited by about half of all container ships.
The two German Navy vessels are participating in exercises in the region with France, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines and the U.S.
Germany, for which both the PRC and Taiwan are major trade partners, has joined other Western nations in expanding its military presence in the region in response to Beijing’s growing territorial ambitions.
