China interprets the strait between it and Taiwan as its territorial waters because it considers Taiwan to be part of China.
A Japanese navy ship has been seen passing through the Taiwan Strait.
It is a historic and rare event, as Japan has traditionally avoided using that route.
China interprets the strait between it and Taiwan as its territorial waters because it considers Taiwan to be part of China.
According to the Japanese media, it was a destroyer named JS Sazanami. The ship passed through the strait from north to south together with ships from Australia and New Zealand on their way to military exercises in the South China Sea.
China and Japan have not commented on what happened through official channels. However, China’s state newspaper Global Times reported the country was following the movements of the Japanese ship and “the situation was under the control of China”.
Visits by warships to the Taiwan Strait have increased
The United States and its allies have increased patrols in the 180-kilometer-long Taiwan Strait.
According to the United States, its allies and Taiwan, the strait is a major international shipping route that does not belong to China and where ships of all countries are allowed to move freely.
Recently, ships from the Canadian, Australian, British, French and German navies have also been seen in the strait.
The professor of international relations interviewed by the AFP news agency Bec Strating from La Trobe University in Australia estimates that Japan’s actions are a response to China’s aggressive geopolitics in its neighboring regions.
– Japan has become the target of China’s “grey area” tactics, especially in the East China Sea, he said.
Recently, Chinese warships have been moving in the vicinity of Japan, and in August, a Chinese Air Force plane violated Japanese airspace.