An Australian Anzac-class frigate, the Toowoomba, made a routine transit of the Taiwan Strait as part of a Regional Presence Deployment. Canberra said all interactions during the passage were 'safe and professional.' Chinese state media reported that the PLA tracked and monitored the vessel, underscoring ongoing tensions around Taiwan.
Australian Frigate Toowoomba Transits Taiwan Strait; China Says PLA Monitored Passage
FILE PHOTO: Royal Australian Navy vessel, HMAS Toowoomba, is docked at the Changi Naval Base in Singapore, May 4, 2023. REUTERS/Caroline Chia/File Photo
SYDNEY, Feb 22 (Reuters) - An Australian Anzac-class frigate, the Toowoomba, completed a routine transit of the Taiwan Strait on Friday and Saturday, a government source told Reuters. The passage forms part of a Regional Presence Deployment in the Indo-Pacific.
Canberra described the transit as routine and said that all interactions with foreign ships and aircraft were "safe and professional." The source declined to provide further operational details.
China Reports Military Monitoring
Chinese state-backed media, including the Global Times, cited an unnamed Chinese military source saying the Chinese People's Liberation Army carried out full-process tracking, monitoring and alert operations during the transit. Beijing regards the Taiwan Strait as Chinese territorial waters and has at times responded forcefully to foreign naval transits.
Regional Context
U.S. warships transit the strait every few months, and other partners — including France, Britain, Canada and Australia — have made occasional transits as well. The activity highlights persistent tensions in the waterway amid a broader buildup of military activity around Taiwan.
China increased its military presence near Taiwan in recent months and held large-scale drills close to the island in late December. Taiwan rejects Beijing's sovereignty claims and says only its people can determine the island's future.
Reporting by Sam McKeith in Sydney and Beijing newsroom; writing and additional reporting by Ben Blanchard in Taipei; editing by William Mallard.
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