German Naval forces await orders for Taiwan Strait crossing

• The decision to pass through the strait is yet to be made, with the weather expected to influence the outcome.
• The German navy is participating in regional exercises with France.
• China’s military has intensified its activities in the strait over the last four years.

Two German warships are waiting for orders from Berlin to decide if they will become the first German naval vessels in decades to pass through the disputed Taiwan Strait next month, potentially increasing tensions with Beijing. While the US and other nations, including Canada, have recently sent warships through the strait, it would mark the German navy’s first passage since 2002.

China claims sovereignty over Taiwan, which is governed democratically, and asserts jurisdiction over the nearly 180 km (110 miles) wide Taiwan Strait, which separates the two sides and is part of the South China Sea. Taiwan and the United States maintain that the Taiwan Strait is an international waterway.

“The decision has not been taken yet,” the commander of the naval task group, Rear Admiral Axel Schulz, said in a telephone interview, adding the weather would play a role.

“We are showing our flag here to demonstrate that we stand by our partners and friends, our commitment to the rules-based order, the peaceful solution of territorial conflicts, and free and secure shipping lanes.”

Before potentially crossing the strait next month, the frigate Baden-Wuerttemberg and the replenishment ship Frankfurt am Main will visit Tokyo on Tuesday. They will also stop in South Korea and the Philippines. Additionally, they will participate in regional exercises with France, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, and the United States.

Over the last four years, Beijing’s military has intensified its activities in the narrow strait. Germany, which views both China and Taiwan—home to a significant chip industry—as key trade partners, has joined other Western nations in expanding its military presence in the region due to growing concerns over Beijing’s territorial ambitions.

In 2021, a German warship sailed through the South China Sea for the first time in nearly 20 years. Last month, the Luftwaffe deployed fighter jets to Japan for its first joint drills there.

Schulz said he was not planning any specific security measures for the potential passage of his warships through the Taiwan Strait, describing it as a “normal passage” akin to sailing through the English Channel or the North Sea. However, he anticipated that any such passage would be closely monitored.

“I expect the Chinese navy and potentially the coast guard or maritime militia to escort us,” he said, describing this as common practice.

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