TOKYO — The Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force destroyer Sazanami passed through the Taiwan Strait on Wednesday, marking the first time a modern Japanese warship has navigated this strategically sensitive waterway.
The Japanese destroyer was en-route to multinational naval drills. Australian and New Zealand vessels are also reported to have transited the strait.
China has consistently opposed foreign naval vessels transiting the strait, which it considers part of its territorial waters.
Japan’s move aligns with the stance of the U.S. and other allies, asserting that the strip constitutes international waters where freedom of navigation must be upheld. Recent transits by warships from Britain, Canada, France, Australia and Germany have also reinforced this principle.
The Japanese ship’s movements come as Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is on his way out of office this month.
Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and U.S. President Joe Biden shake hands as Kishida departs after the Quad leaders summit in Claymont, Delaware, Sept. 21, 2024.
Kevin Lamarque/Reuters
China often tests Japan’s response to their air and naval movements but they’ve been upping ante as of late. A People’s Liberation Army Navy aircraft carrier recently maneuvered between two of Japan’s southern islands. And the Chinese military tested on Wednesday its first ICBM in decades, a launch about which Japan hadn’t received prior notification.
The decision to send the Sazanami through the strait is significant given Japan’s decades of post-war pacifism. The government has tread lightly on all things military, to avoid stirring unrest at home. This bold move by Japan would’ve been hard to imagine a decade ago, but as the China’s assertiveness grows, so has Japan’s effort to beef up its national defense. It also appears to signal that Japan will stand with allies, as well as support Taiwan.
Prime Minister of Japan Fumio Kishida speaks during the High-Level Meeting to Launch the Friends of Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty at UN headquarters in New York City, Sept. 23, 2024.
Bryan R. Smith/pool via Reuters
Japan’s government and Ministry of Defense have not yet made public statements about the move.
The ship’s movements come as the U.N. General Assembly meets in New York, where U.S. President Joe Biden spoke on Tuesday of his efforts to build a strong trilateral relationship with Japan and South Korea. Those relationships have been part of Biden’s strategy to counter China’s influence in the region.
“These partnerships are not against any nation,” Biden said on Tuesday. “They’re building blocks for a free, open, secure, peaceful Indo-Pacific.”
In a move that has raised tensions in the region, a Japanese warship recently passed through the Taiwan Strait, asserting its presence in disputed waters. The passage of the warship comes at a time of heightened tensions in the region, with territorial disputes and military build-ups causing concern among neighboring countries.
The Japanese warship, identified as the JS Makinami, sailed through the Taiwan Strait on its way to the South China Sea. The passage of the warship through the strait is seen as a show of force by Japan, asserting its presence in the region and sending a message to China, which has been increasingly assertive in its claims to the disputed waters.
The Taiwan Strait is a strategically important waterway, separating Taiwan from mainland China. It is also a hotly contested area, with both China and Taiwan claiming sovereignty over the region. The passage of the Japanese warship through the strait is likely to be seen as a provocative move by China, which has long viewed Taiwan as a renegade province and has not ruled out the use of force to bring it under its control.
Japan’s decision to send a warship through the Taiwan Strait is part of a broader strategy to assert its presence in the region and counter China’s growing influence. Japan has been increasing its military capabilities in recent years, in response to what it sees as a growing threat from China’s military expansion and assertiveness in the region.
The passage of the JS Makinami through the Taiwan Strait is also likely to be seen as a message to the United States, which has been a key ally of Japan in the region. The US has been increasingly concerned about China’s military activities in the South China Sea and has been working to strengthen its alliances with countries in the region, including Japan.
The passage of the Japanese warship through the Taiwan Strait is likely to further complicate an already tense situation in the region. It is important for all parties involved to exercise restraint and work towards peaceful resolution of disputes in order to avoid any escalation of tensions that could lead to conflict.
