German navy ships navigate the contentious Taiwan Strait, angering China
Two German navy ships passed through the Taiwan Strait on Friday, September 13, marking the first such occurrence in 22 years. Chinese authorities described the event as a "provocation." We explain which ships these are and why their presence in this location displeased Beijing so much.
Reuters first reported information about the German navy ships in the waters of the Taiwan Strait. German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius confirmed the news, stating that "international waters are international waters" and that the route chosen by the ships was, considering the weather conditions, the safest at that moment.
German navy ships passed through the Taiwan Strait
According to information published by American and Asian sources, they were the frigate Baden-Wuerttemberg and the supply ship Frankfurt am Main. The Baden-Wuerttemberg is a vessel with a displacement of 7,937 metric tons, measuring 149 metres in length and 19 metres in width. It can reach a maximum speed of 48 kilometres per hour and operate within a range of up to 8,500 kilometres.
In addition to space for the crew, the "Baden-Wuerttemberg" has allocated space for two NH-90 helicopters and room for armaments, including an Oto Melara 127 mm gun, two 27 mm automatic cannons, and five remotely operated Hitrole-NT stations with 12.7 mm machine guns. Furthermore, the designers of this ship have included eight Harpoon anti-ship missile launchers and two RAM Block II defence systems.
China's angry reactions to NATO ships
The Taiwan Strait is about 130 kilometres wide. It separates Taiwan's main island from mainland China, and Beijing authorities consider the island a breakaway province and treat this strait as internal waters.
"The German side's behaviour increases security risks and sends incorrect signals," said a Chinese army spokesperson.
In an article on the Nikkei Asia portal, it was noted that "China's expansionist actions in recent years have prompted Western powers to assert their presence in the Indo-Pacific to protect allies and maintain the rules-based international order."
The warships of the United States, France, or the United Kingdom passing through the Taiwan Strait have also been labelled as "provocateurs" by Chinese authorities. The situation with the German ships is particularly interesting because their navy was last present in these waters in 2002.
