US Ally’s Warship in Row With China Sails Through Flashpoint Route

An Australian warship at the center of a row with China has made a transit through the sensitive Taiwan Strait in a move that could increase friction with Beijing.

The transit of the Royal Australian Navy frigate HMAS Toowoomba occurred against the backdrop of heightened tensions following the warship’s encounter with a Chinese destroyer near Japan, in which Australia alleged its navy divers were injured by the Chinese ship’s sonar ping—an accusation that has been denied by China.

China routinely objects to transits of warships by the United States and its allies through the Taiwan Strait, the narrow waterway between the mainland and self-ruling Taiwan, which Beijing sees as part of its territory despite not having governed the island during the Communist Party’s rules in Beijing.

Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said the Toowoomba “entered the strait from the north and sailed south between late on Thursday and early on Friday.

Chinese authorities made no immediate comment about the move, aimed at signaling the West’s collective resolve to prevent Beijing from claiming de facto control over the waterway or taking Taiwan by force—an adventure that would disrupt the global economy.

While the transit of the Toowoomba might not be a direct response to the sonar incident, it symbolized Canberra’s commitment to maintaining freedom of navigation in international waters, according to analysts quoted in The Sydney Morning Herald.

“Sources familiar with the operation, who requested anonymity due to not being authorized to speak publicly, described the transit as part of HMAS Toowoomba‘s regional presence deployment,” the newspaper said.

The Toowoomba had encountered an unnamed Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy destroyer in international waters in the East China Sea on November 14. The Australian ship was enforcing U.N. sanctions against North Korea at the time.

An official Australian report released on Monday alleged that Australian divers were injured by the Chinese destroyer’s powerful sonar, despite being aware of the crew’s presence.

Richard Marles, Australia’s defense minister, said at a press statement that the Toowoomba‘s divers were clearing fishing nets from the ship’s propellers when the Chinese warship approached and sounded the apparent warning ping, inflicting minor injuries on the crew.

Mao Ning, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said China’s armed forces were disciplined and professional.

“We hope relevant parties will stop making trouble in front of China’s doorstep and work with China to preserve the momentum of improving and growing China-Australia ties,” she said at a regular press briefing in Beijing.

Between Thursday and Friday, the Chinese military flew 31 aircraft sorties and deployed 13 military vessels into the sea and airspace around Taiwan, according to Taipei’s Defense Ministry. It was not immediately clear whether the uptick in activity was related to the Toowoomba‘s presence.

Before the incident, there had been signs of improving Australia-China relations.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese recently became the first Australian leader to visit Beijing since 2016. Albanese walked away from the trip having secured the removal of unofficial Chinese sanctions on various Australian products.

China’s Defense Ministry and Taiwan Foreign Ministry didn’t return Newsweek‘s separate requests for comment before publication.