The U.S. Navy confirmed on Saturday that a U.S. warship, the guided-missile destroyer USS Ralph Johnson, and Canada’s HMCS Ottawa sailed through the Taiwan Strait. This joint mission, the second of its kind since June, coincided with the attendance of both U.S. and Canadian leaders at the G20 summit in India.
The U.S. Navy’s 7th Fleet described the transit as “routine” and stated that it took place “through waters where high-seas freedoms of navigation and overflight apply in accordance with international law.” In an official statement, the U.S. Navy emphasized that the joint transit demonstrated the commitment of the United States and its allies to a free and open Indo-Pacific region.
As is customary, China’s military criticized the mission, accusing the ships of engaging in “public hyping” within the strait, which separates Taiwan, claimed by China, from the mainland. Taiwan’s government firmly rejects China’s sovereignty claims, asserting that the island’s future should be determined by its people.
China’s Eastern Theatre Command of the People’s Liberation Army reported monitoring the ships and stated that it “handled” the situation according to the law and regulations. Taiwan’s defense ministry noted that the ships sailed in a southerly direction and observed nothing unusual.
The announcement of this mission coincided with the conclusion of the G20 summit in New Delhi, attended by U.S. President Joe Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau but skipped by Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Notably, after the June joint transit through the Taiwan Strait, the U.S. Navy released a video depicting what it described as an “unsafe interaction,” in which a Chinese warship crossed in front of a U.S. destroyer. While U.S. warships typically transit the strait approximately once a month, such transits with allied nations are less common.
China has escalated its military activities in the vicinity of Taiwan over the past few years, citing concerns over perceived “collusion” between Taiwan independence supporters and the U.S.
