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An Anzac-class warship of Australia, an ally of the United States, transited through the Taiwan Strait, a Chinese military source told State media, which said that the frigate was tracked and monitored throughout the transit.
A Chinese military source told the Global Times that on February 20 and February 21, the Royal Australian Navy warship, the HMAS Toowoomba, transited the Taiwan Straits. The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) carried out full-process tracking, monitoring, and alert operations throughout the transit, Chinese state media reported. A December 2025 report in the Taipei Times said that eight countries sent military vessels through the Taiwan Strait last year The US, Japan, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Vietnam, the UK and France all sent military vessels through the Taiwan Strait this year (2025), Taiwan's National Security Bureau (NSB) Director-General Tsai Ming-yen had said in December, as cited by the Taipei Times. The official futher said that two joint operations by the US and UK, as well as Canada and Australia, were also held. Beijing views the strategic strait as Chinese territorial waters, which Taiwan contests. Earlier on January 16-17, this year, US naval vessels Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS John Finn (DDG 113 ) and Pathfinder-class oceanographic survey ship USNS Mary Sears (T-AGS 65) transited the Taiwan Strait, according to a statement by the US 7th Fleet. "The ships transited through a corridor in the Strait that is beyond the territorial sea of any coastal state. The transit through the Taiwan Strait demonstrates the United States' commitment to upholding freedom of navigation for all nations as a principle. The international community's navigational rights and freedoms in the Taiwan Strait should not be limited. The United States rejects any assertion of sovereignty or jurisdiction that is inconsistent with freedoms of navigation, overflight, and other lawful uses of the sea and air," the statement read. In December 2025, the Chinese military the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) and China Coast Guard conducted "Justice Mission" exercises around Taiwan. The drill was intended to demonstrate Beijing's ability to blockade Taiwan and defeat foreign forces coming to Taipei's aid. (ANI)
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