PLA slams Germany for sailing ships through Taiwan Strait, citing ‘security risks’
Mainland Chinese military command accuses German naval ships of sending ‘erroneous signals’ as Western nations assert presence in region
China’s People’s Liberation Army has accused the German Navy of adding to security risks by sailing two vessels through the Taiwan Strait.
“The actions of the German side have increased security risks and sent erroneous signals,” PLA Eastern Theatre Command spokesman Senior Captain Li Xi said on Saturday.
“The theatre’s forces remain in a state of high alert at all times and are resolutely prepared to counter any threats or provocations,” Li added, according to the command’s official WeChat account.
On Friday, two vessels from the German Navy, the frigate Baden-Wuerttemberg and the replenishment ship Frankfurt am Main, traversed the Taiwan Strait for the first time in 22 years.
Mao Ning, a spokeswoman for China’s foreign ministry, expressed firm opposition to the actions.
“We resist any act that infringes on China’s sovereignty,” she said on Friday. “The Taiwan issue is not a matter of freedom of navigation but of China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity … The waters between the two shores rightfully belong to China, and we will firmly safeguard our territorial integrity.”
