German Frigate to Pass Through the Taiwan Strait

German outlet Der Spiegel reported Saturday that two German Navy ships will pass through the Taiwan Strait after a United Nations mission to monitor North Korea. The Chinese Foreign Ministry issued protests on the traversal, claiming it as a violation of Chinese territorial sovereignty..Why Is Germany In the Area?The German frigate Baden-Württemberg and the replenishment ship Frankfurt am Main will pass through the strait en route to Indonesia from South Korea. The two ships were part of a multi-nation monitoring mission on the United Nations arms embargo against North Korea.The German Embassy in Seoul stated that the Baden-Württemberg and the Frankfurt am Main entered the port of Incheon on Friday and are set to leave South Korea on Tuesday.The two ships will sail south through the Taiwan Strait, the first for Germany since 2002, in what many see as a show of force by NATO.In following with previous related incidents, China will likely dispatch air or naval assets to tail and monitor the vessels through the strait.According to the German government, the two ships sailed westward in May from Germany and entered the Pacific Ocean through the Panama Canal. In June they arrived in Hawaii for a multi-nation exercise, and by August the ships had made port in Japan.The German Navy made a similar voyage on a 2021 deployment to monitor North Korea. However, during that trip, they avoided passing through the Taiwan Strait.The United States, Canada, Australia, and other allies in the region traverse the strait regularly..China's Reaction and the Territorial DisputeChina views traversals such as this as violations of their sovereign territory. China claims Taiwan and therefore the strait; however, they have allowed both merchant and naval vessels to pass through the area under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).Spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Mao Ning, stated that China "opposes the provocation and endangerment of China's sovereignty and security by relevant countries in the name of freedom of navigation."During a press conference in Beijing, Mao stated, "The waters within the Taiwan Strait are China's internal waters, territorial sea, contiguous zone, and exclusive economic zone from both sides of the strait to the sea." She further reinforced that Taiwan "is an inalienable part" of China.China regularly deals with these incidents with diplomatic protests and military shows of force. Often, submarines or Chinese frigates will follow hostile ships through the area or even attempt interdiction, such as during several incidents over the summer where Chinese sailors intercepted and arrested Taiwanese fishermen in the strait..Why This MattersThe 110-mile-wide strait has been a contentious issue between China and US-backed Taiwan. China claims Taiwan as a breakaway province, whereas Taiwan views itself as an independent nation. China has expressed a willingness to use military force to reintegrate Taiwan into the mainland, a move that has set the Indo-Pacific on edge. The United States and it's regional allies have committed to the defense of Taiwan, prompting exercises and shows of force through the region, particularly within the waterway between China and Taiwan.The Taiwan Strait is one of the most important waterways in the world, with billions of dollars passing through it every day. Nearly half of the world's 5,400 container ships passed through in 2022, according to a 2023 report by the U.S. Naval Institute. Any disruption of this trade could cost the global economy trillions. This, paired with the US determination to defend democracy in Taiwan, makes the area a hot point for the two superpowers—one in which Germany has a part to play as a NATO member state.