Canada sails warship through Taiwan Strait, 3 months after similar move

Canada has sailed a warship through the sensitive Taiwan Strait, the government in Ottawa said, three months after a similar operation and amid strained ties with Beijing. The frigate HMCS ‘Ottawa’ passed through the Taiwan Strait on Monday and Tuesday, according to the statement.

“This route was chosen as it was the most direct route between UN Security Council sanctions monitoring activities in Northeast Asia and engagements in Southeast Asia,” the Department of National Defense said on Tuesday. It added that the Royal Canadian Navy does not conduct Freedom of Navigation operations aimed at challenging the territorial claims of other nations.

The ship’s transit was conducted “in accordance with international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea,” the military said.

In April, Beijing condemned a French decision to send a frigate through the strait as illegal, and China has also been upset by US navy ships passing through the same waterway, Reuters said.