Taiwan announced on Friday that an Australian warship had sailed through the Taiwan Strait, the narrow waterway dividing the democratic island and China.
The island’s defense ministry did not name the ship but said it entered the strait on Thursday and sailed through it in a southerly direction, adding that Taiwan’s military kept watch throughout. It gave no more details.
An Australian official confirmed the ship, the Toowoomba, transited the international waters of the Taiwan Strait as part of its regional deployment.
Euan Graham, a senior analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, said the Australian Navy has regularly transited through the Taiwan Strait but “chose not to publicize it.”
The sailing has come at a difficult time in Australia-China military relations even as the two countries seek to get ties back on track.
The island’s defense ministry did not name the ship but said it entered the strait on Thursday and sailed through it in a southerly direction, adding that Taiwan’s military kept watch throughout. It gave no more details.
An Australian official confirmed the ship, the Toowoomba, transited the international waters of the Taiwan Strait as part of its regional deployment.
Euan Graham, a senior analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, said the Australian Navy has regularly transited through the Taiwan Strait but “chose not to publicize it.”
The sailing has come at a difficult time in Australia-China military relations even as the two countries seek to get ties back on track.
