Japan has sent a destroyer, the Sazanami, through the Taiwan Strait for the first time, amidst increasing military activity by China. The Sazanami, along with ships from Australia and New Zealand, sailed through the 180-kilometre waterway ahead of planned drills in the disputed South China Sea. New Zealand confirmed its ship, the HMNZS Aotearoa, asserted the “right of freedom of navigation” by transiting the strait after a seven-year gap.
The move comes after China’s aircraft carrier Liaoning sailed between Japanese islands near Taiwan, prompting Tokyo to call the incident “totally unacceptable”. In response to China’s aggressive actions, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida ordered the Taiwan Strait transit to show that Japan will not tolerate such behavior.
There is growing concern over China’s increased military presence in the region, with the United States and its allies also sending ships through the strait to reinforce it as an international waterway. China’s recent test-launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile into the Pacific Ocean has raised alarm among its neighbors, with Japan expressing “serious concern” over Beijing’s military build-up.
Experts believe that Japan’s transit through the Taiwan Strait is part of a broader effort by countries to counter China’s maritime assertions. As part of the Quad grouping, which includes Australia, India, Japan, and the United States, joint security steps have been expanded in Asia’s waters to address shared concerns about China’s aggressive moves. The international community is closely monitoring the situation in the region as tensions continue to escalate.
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