On 25 September 2024, the Japanese navy‘s destroyer Sazanami passed through Taiwan Strait, in a first such move by Japan’s warships.
The Japanese ship was accompanied during the passage by ships from Australia and New Zealand.
Warship transits through Taiwan Strait, which are regularly conducted by the US, signify rejection of China’s claim to sovereignty over the strait, as well as opposition to Beijing’s intention to conquer Taiwan militarily.
Japan had not conducted such warship transits in the past. Its decision to do so now points at the development of Tokyo’s policy regarding the geopolitical necessity to protect Taiwan, and also likely constitutes a response to the recent Chinese aggressive military maneuvers in the area of islands in Japan’s southwest.
Efforts Category: Japan’s and others’ Military Pressure vs China in Taiwan Strait
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