China Protests German Warship Passing Through Taiwan Strait: "Firm Response to Provocation"

PLA Issues Critical Statements Targeting German Embassy and Ministry of Foreign Affairs

View of Baden-W?rttemberg, Germany. [Photo source: Captured from Taiwan Liberty Times]

The People's Liberation Army of China has protested the passage of a German warship through the Taiwan Strait. It labeled the German warship's transit through the Taiwan Strait as a provocation and stated that it would maintain a vigilant stance in response. Li Xi, spokesperson for the Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, stated on the 14th that the German warship's passage through the Taiwan Strait "increases security risks and sends the wrong signal."

The Taiwan Strait, located between mainland China and Taiwan Island, is about 180 km wide and serves as the boundary between the East China Sea and the South China Sea. Since Taiwan relocated its government to Taiwan Island, the strait has functioned as the de facto border between China and Taiwan. Because the two countries are militarily opposed, the area is always tense. Whenever Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party and other pro-independence forces come to power, China sends warships or conducts military exercises in this region. Conversely, the United States also sends aircraft carriers to the Taiwan Strait to check China.

The Eastern Theater Command organized naval and air forces to monitor and conduct vigilance activities regarding the movements of the German vessels. Spokesperson Li Xi warned, "Units under the Eastern Theater Command will always maintain a high state of alert and resolutely respond to all threats and provocations." On the 13th, two German warships?the frigate Baden-W?rttemberg and the supply ship Frankfurt am Main?passed through the Taiwan Strait. These two warships had visited South Korea and Japan since the 6th and passed through the Taiwan Strait en route to the Philippines and Indonesia.

According to AFP, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius also confirmed that two German warships passed through the Taiwan Strait on the 13th. This marks the first time in 22 years that German warships have transited the Taiwan Strait. Mao Ning, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said at a regular briefing on the 13th, "The Taiwan issue is not a matter of freedom of navigation but concerns China's sovereignty and territorial integrity," adding, "We firmly oppose provocations and threats to China's sovereignty and security under the pretext of freedom of navigation."

The Chinese Embassy in Germany also issued a separate statement reaffirming China's position on the Taiwan issue and reported that it had submitted a 'stern representation' to the German side. A stern representation refers to a diplomatic protest through official channels.