Taiwan Strait transit by German warships ‘heightened security risk’: Chinese military

ISTANBUL

China deployed naval and air forces to track and monitor German frigate and supply ships transiting the Taiwan Strait on Friday because it "heightened security risk and sent the wrong signals," according to the Global Times newspaper.

A People's Liberation Army (PLA) Eastern Theater Command spokesperson said theater troops remain on high alert and ready to counter "any threats.”

The German frigate Baden-Württemberg and supply ship Frankfurt am Main transited the Taiwan Strait from north to south for the first time in two decades despite warnings from China, said officials.

In response, the PLA Eastern Theater Command deployed naval and air forces to track and monitor the entire course, while remaining on alert.

The German action heightened security risks and sent the wrong signals, according to a PLA Eastern Theater Command spokesperson.

The ministry wrote on X that Taiwanese armed forces "maintained full control over our surrounding sea and airspace, and the situation remained normal."

Ahead of its planned transit Friday, Germany described the waterway, which divides Taiwan from mainland China, as international waters and the safest route for navigation depending on weather conditions.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning, however, firmly opposed "provocations and actions" that threaten China's sovereignty and security.