The German frigate “Baden-Württemberg” passes through the Taiwan Strait. China sharply criticizes this and calls it a provocation.
Despite Chinese protests, the German Navy has entered the disputed strait between China and Taiwan with two ships. Defense Minister Boris Pistorius pointed out in Berlin that there is a right to use international waters without hindrance. A spokesman for the Foreign Office made it clear that according to international maritime law, “no notifications are required in international waters that one can sail through freely, and that is exactly what we are doing right now.”
“And the message is a very simple one, which we have always advocated and which I have always advocated: international waters are international waters,” said Defense Minister Boris Pistorius. And: “It is the shortest route. Given the weather conditions, it is the safest route and they are international waters, so we are going through.” He had been in the Indo-Pacific region a few weeks ago to talk to regional partners about increased cooperation and the protection of international rules.
At midday, online position data showed the frigate “Baden-Württemberg” and the task force supply ship “Frankfurt am Main” in the so-called Taiwan Strait. The naval ships were on their way from South Korea to Manila in the Philippines.
Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) demonstratively kept the issue to a minimum. “Otherwise there is not much to say about the passage of ships. This is an international waterway,” he said in Berlin during a joint press conference with Kenyan President William Samoei Ruto.
China spoke of a provocation. Beijing rejects threats from states against China’s sovereignty and security under the guise of freedom of navigation, said Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning. The People’s Republic considers the waters in the strait to be Chinese waters and also counts the island state of Taiwan as part of its territory, although the republic has had a democratically elected government independent of Beijing for decades.
The Communist Party wants to unite Taiwan with the mainland and has already threatened to use the military if necessary if it does not work out peacefully. The Taiwan question is not about freedom of navigation, but about China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, Mao explained. The passage could cause trouble with Beijing and damage Germany’s ties with China, warned the state-run newspaper “Global Times”, which is known for its sometimes sharp tone.
Warships from other countries such as the USA or Canada repeatedly pass through the Taiwan Strait, usually under protest from China. Taiwan’s military also monitors the passages, including the two German ships, according to the Ministry of Defense in Taipei. The “Baden-Württemberg” and the “Frankfurt am Main” are the first German naval ships to choose this route since 2002.
The frigate “Bayern” was on a similar mission in the Indo-Pacific between August 2021 and February 2022, but avoided Taiwan. At the time, Germany had hoped that the naval ship could enter the Chinese port of Shanghai as a guest and as a sign of cooperation. But Beijing thwarted this plan and refused. The lesson: not every outstretched hand is taken.
The traffic light parties have now demonstrated complete solidarity for the passage. “Our two ships will be received everywhere with the best of friendship and great honors on their defense diplomatic mission. The entire voyage is under the sign of international law, cooperation and stability,” explained Green Party deputy Agnieszka Brugger. “Especially in these times, a clear commitment to freedom of sea routes is needed. It would therefore raise more questions if the Taiwan Strait were deliberately avoided. It is right to choose this route with sovereign self-assurance.”
