A US Navy destroyer and a Royal Canadian Navy frigate completed a joint Taiwan Strait transit on September 20.
Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Higgins (DDG 76) and Halifax-class frigate HMCS Vancouver (FFH 331) transited the Taiwan Strait through waters where high seas freedoms of navigation and overflight apply in accordance with international law.
The US Navy’s 7th Fleet said the ships transited through a corridor in the Strait that is beyond the territorial sea of any coastal state.
“Higgins’ and Vancouver’s transit through the Taiwan Strait demonstrates the commitment of the United States and our allies and partners to a free and open Indo-Pacific. Cooperation like this represents the centerpiece of our approach to a secure and prosperous region,” the 7th Fleet said.
China’s Eastern Theatre Command said it was monitoring the Canadian and US ships, while Taiwan’s defense ministry said the situation was “as normal,” with its forces observing the move.
This is the second time US Navy ships have transited the strait in a month, after a duo of Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruisers made a Taiwan Strait transit in late August.
HMCS Vancouver transited the strait as part of Canada’s operation Projection, which is a naval forward operating presence that demonstrates Canada’s ongoing commitment to peace and security in the Indo-Pacific.
Following recent port visits in Jakarta, Indonesia, and Manila, Philippines, HMCS Vancouver is now set to take part in exercises Keen Sword, with the United States military and Japan Self-Defense Force, and Kaedex with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force.
“As a Pacific nation, Canada is deeply committed to upholding global stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region. Today’s routine Taiwan Strait transit demonstrates our commitment to a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific,” Canadian defense minister Anita Anand said.
