German warships pass via Taiwan Strait for the first time in 22 years

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
13 Sep 2024 21:21

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius claims the warships took that course because it was the shortest one.

Listen

A German warship sailed through the South China Sea, for the first time in almost 20 years in 2021 (AFP)

Two German warships sailed through the Taiwan Strait on Friday, according to the country's defense minister in Berlin, marking an unusual journey likely to provoke a response from Beijing.

Local media reported that this is the first time in over two decades that the German navy has passed through the waterway close to China's borders.

The United States and other countries have repeatedly crossed the strait, posing a serious threat to China's national security and the stability of the region.

When questioned about whether the frigate Baden-Wuerttemberg and the supply vessel Frankfurt am Main were navigating the Strait, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius responded, "I can confirm that."

"And the message is a very simple one, which we have always supported... international waters are international waters," Pistorius told journalists.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz downplayed a question about the matter during a press conference, stating, "There's not much to say... it's an international waterway."

Taiwan's defense ministry confirmed that "a German frigate and a supply ship have been sailing through the Taiwan Strait from north to south since this morning."

"The military has monitored the situation and no anomaly was detected in our surroundings."

The German ships were headed from South Korea to the Philippines, defense ministry officials said.

Pistorius claimed that the decision to take this route was based on it being "the most direct path."

"It is the safest route given the weather conditions. And these are international waters, so we are sailing through them."

In a statement on Tuesday, Taiwan's foreign ministry said it "welcomes and affirms Germany, along with the US, Canada, and the Netherlands, for taking actions to demonstrate the legal status of the Taiwan Strait as international waters, while defending freedom of navigation and maintaining regional peace at the same time".