Japan retaliates with a destroyer attack against Chinese provocation
The passage of the Chinese warship "Liaoning" between two Japanese islands stirs up Tokyo. As a response, a Japanese destroyer navigates through the Taiwan Strait. News sources also report the presence of naval vessels from Australia and New Zealand, who have taken this sensitive route.
For the first time, a Japanese naval ship has traversed the strait dividing mainland China and the island of Taiwan. The destroyer "Sazanami" led the way, as reported by various Japanese media outlets. Additionally, the New Zealand Defense Ministry confirmed that military ships from both New Zealand and Australia had also navigated the strait that day. These actions were taken to assert the "right to free navigation," a ministry representative commented.
The ministry representative further noted that this was the first occasion in seven years that a New Zealand military ship had navigated the Taiwan Strait. This voyage coincided with an Australian guided-missile destroyer. The mission did not involve collaboration with Japan, the representative explained. Sailing through the strait, known as the Formosa Strait, has been a regular practice by the U.S. and its allies, to emphasize its status as international waters.
Just a week prior, the Chinese aircraft carrier "Liaoning" sailed between two Japanese islands near Taiwan for the first time. Tokyo deemed this maneuver "totally unacceptable." According to "Yomiuri Shimbun," citing government sources, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida commanded the passage through the Taiwan Strait as a response to Chinese incursions into Japanese territorial waters. The Prime Minister's Office, however, declined to comment on the situation, citing military operations.
China once more approaches Taiwan
Meanwhile, Taiwan reported detecting 43 Chinese military aircraft and eight naval ships surrounding the island over a 24-hour period. Later, the Taiwanese Defense Ministry reported spotting 29 more Chinese combat aircraft and drones around Taiwan.
China considers Taiwan as a separatist province, to be reunified with the mainland, and regards the Taiwan Strait as Chinese territorial waters. However, many other countries argue that these actions fall under the freedom of navigation principle.
Recently, China has accused Germany of heightening the security risk in the Taiwan Strait, following the passage of two German military vessels through the area. Almost every day, China deploys combat aircraft, drones, and naval ships near Taiwan.
In light of these ongoing tensions, China decided to send more military assets towards Taiwan, including 43 aircraft and 8 naval ships. Despite the escalation, Australia and New Zealand continue to assert their right to free navigation by navigating the Taiwan Strait.
