Chinese military labels German warships a 'security risk'
China has stated that the transit of two German Navy vessels through the Taiwan Strait on Friday “increased security risks” in the region. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
The Chinese military has expressed that the passage of two German Navy ships through the Taiwan Strait on Friday “increased security risks” in the region. The Foreign Ministry in Beijing accused Berlin of initiating a “provocation” and breaching the One-China policy.
Taiwan has operated as a de facto self-governing entity since 1949, following the retreat of Nationalist forces to the island after their defeat in the Chinese Civil War. It is currently recognized as a sovereign state by only 12 nations worldwide. Although the US has maintained unofficial relations with Taiwan and provided support over the decades, it officially adheres to the One-China policy, which acknowledges Beijing as the sole governing authority over Chinese territories.
China asserts that Taiwan is an inseparable part of its territory, with President Xi Jinping cautioning that military action could be employed to assert control over the island.
On Friday, Taiwan’s Defense Ministry confirmed via a post on X that a “German naval frigate and a supply ship each sailed through the Taiwan Strait from north to south today.” This marked the first transit of the Baden-Wuerttemberg frigate and the Frankfurt am Main replenishment ship through the strait in 22 years.
Senior Captain Li Xi, a spokesman for the People’s Liberation Army Eastern Theater Command, stated that the “actions of the German side have increased security risks and sent erroneous signals.”
Mao Ning, a spokeswoman for the Foreign Ministry, emphasized that the “Taiwan issue is not about freedom of navigation but about China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.” While acknowledging the rights of other nations to navigate in international waters as per the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, Beijing firmly opposes “any act of provocation under the pretext of freedom of navigation.”
The Chinese Embassy in Berlin further clarified that the “waters in the Taiwan Strait are China’s internal waters, territorial waters, contiguous zones, and exclusive economic zones from both sides to the sea.”
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius remarked on Friday that “international waters are international waters; it is the shortest route, it is the safest route given the weather conditions… so we pass through.”
In spite of China’s persistent objections, the US, UK, Australia, Canada, and France have conducted multiple transits of warships through the waterway.
James del Carmen contributed to this report for TROIB News
Taiwan has operated as a de facto self-governing entity since 1949, following the retreat of Nationalist forces to the island after their defeat in the Chinese Civil War. It is currently recognized as a sovereign state by only 12 nations worldwide. Although the US has maintained unofficial relations with Taiwan and provided support over the decades, it officially adheres to the One-China policy, which acknowledges Beijing as the sole governing authority over Chinese territories.
China asserts that Taiwan is an inseparable part of its territory, with President Xi Jinping cautioning that military action could be employed to assert control over the island.
On Friday, Taiwan’s Defense Ministry confirmed via a post on X that a “German naval frigate and a supply ship each sailed through the Taiwan Strait from north to south today.” This marked the first transit of the Baden-Wuerttemberg frigate and the Frankfurt am Main replenishment ship through the strait in 22 years.
Senior Captain Li Xi, a spokesman for the People’s Liberation Army Eastern Theater Command, stated that the “actions of the German side have increased security risks and sent erroneous signals.”
Mao Ning, a spokeswoman for the Foreign Ministry, emphasized that the “Taiwan issue is not about freedom of navigation but about China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.” While acknowledging the rights of other nations to navigate in international waters as per the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, Beijing firmly opposes “any act of provocation under the pretext of freedom of navigation.”
The Chinese Embassy in Berlin further clarified that the “waters in the Taiwan Strait are China’s internal waters, territorial waters, contiguous zones, and exclusive economic zones from both sides to the sea.”
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius remarked on Friday that “international waters are international waters; it is the shortest route, it is the safest route given the weather conditions… so we pass through.”
In spite of China’s persistent objections, the US, UK, Australia, Canada, and France have conducted multiple transits of warships through the waterway.
James del Carmen contributed to this report for TROIB News
