China accuses Germany of increasing security risks in Taiwan Strait

China has condemned Germany for heightening security risks in the Taiwan Strait following the transit of two German naval vessels through the region, asserting that this move “sends the wrong signals.”

Li Xi, the official spokesperson for the Eastern Theater Command (ETC) of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), said in a statement that the German frigate Baden-Württemberg and the supply ship Frankfurt am Main passed through the Taiwan Strait on September 13, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

This transit has become a subject of public discussion and speculation.

Li Xi elaborated that the Chinese military responded to this development by deploying naval and air forces to monitor the German ships throughout their journey through the strait. “The behaviour of the German side increases security risks and sends incorrect signals,” Li Xi said. He added that the VZBK (a reference to the PLA’s Eastern Theater Command) troops are on constant high alert and are prepared to counter any threats or provocations.

This incident is notable as it represents the first time in more than two decades that German warships have navigated through the Taiwan Strait. 

Taiwan, governed separately since 1949 after Kuomintang forces fled following their defeat in the Chinese Civil War, is considered by Beijing to be a province of the People's Republic of China.