Context is everything, and in geopolitical terms, even more so. That’s why what is sometimes mistaken as a staging for this or that nation’s gallery, especially the military arsenal in question, often has more than one meaning behind all that equipment. That’s why it’s certainly no coincidence that Japan is “walking” a warship in the Taiwan Strait for the first time.

“Walk”. Almost all major newspapers repeated these images, so the first goal has already been more than achieved. News: A Japanese warship has passed through the Taiwan Strait between Taiwan and China for the first time in history.

This is the JS Sazanami, a naval destroyer that sailed north to south through the strait on Wednesday, accompanied by ships from Australia and New Zealand. The ship is on its way, at least officially, to participate in military exercises in the South China Sea. But the first hint that there is more to it is given by the absolute silence of the maneuver by all involved.

China and Taiwan. It is no secret that the relationship between China and Taiwan has always been fraught, with tensions between them sometimes reaching such an intensity that they could trigger a full-scale conflict. A year ago, we even reported that Taiwan had a plan to avoid being alone in the event of war with China.

But tensions have grown so intense this year that the concept of “made in Taiwan” is in danger of disappearing as many electronics firms move abroad due to what could happen. Faced with this flight of talent, Taiwan’s government has confronted China directly.

Meanwhile, the controversy has turned the famous strait into a decidedly tense situation.

Inside the story. In the background, there is again the island’s sovereignty. China regards Taiwan as a rebel province that should eventually be reunited with mainland China. But Taiwan has been governed autonomously by an independent democratic government since 1949, following the Chinese Civil War.

This has led to tensions not only between China and Taiwan, but also with other countries, especially the United States, which has maintained an ambiguous policy on the issue: it officially recognizes China under its “one China” policy but also supports Taiwan through defense and arms supply agreements.

Throat And so we come to the disputed territory. The Taiwan Strait, which separates the island from the mainland, is also a key strategic point for global trade, and control of the strait is essential for the security of the Indo-Pacific region. What’s happening? China’s military exercises in the Strait are raising tensions with other countries, especially the United States and its Asian allies such as Japan and Australia, who again see China’s military expansion as a threat to regional stability.

Such tensions have increased in recent years as China has increased its military presence, with other countries also showing support for Taiwan as part of efforts to maintain security and freedom of navigation in the crucial region.

And Japan is pulling out its arsenal. That makes it easy to understand that Japan launched the warship just hours ago. Neither Japan, Taiwan nor China have officially commented on the move. The Chinese state newspaper Global Times, citing an unnamed source, said the Chinese military “conducted surveillance and observation throughout the tour.” [de los buques] and we have the situation under control.”

Additionally, the move comes as the US and its allies have increased patrols to defend freedom of navigation in the 180-kilometer-long strait, which both the US and Taiwan reiterate is a key trade and transportation route through which about half of the world’s container fleet passes, is part of international waters and is open to all warships.

China against everyone. Of course, China, which claims sovereignty and jurisdiction over the strait, has other statements on the subject. For decades, the US Pacific Fleet was the only foreign fleet to regularly pass through the strait, but recently Canada, Australia, the UK and France have joined the fleet. Moreover, Germany sent two warships through the strait for the first time in decades two weeks ago.

China later accused Germany of increasing security risks by passing through the strait on September 13, but Berlin said it was acting in accordance with international standards. Again, there is no curiosity in such cases, and it was the first time in 22 years that a German warship had passed through the strait.

stagings. As we said at the beginning, when we see a nation almost always showing off its finest clothes, there is a double reading. In the current case, these transitions seem to have a clear political component, and are likely designed to show China that the US and its allies do not accept Beijing’s demands.

For Japan, this is another step that also seems important. Its modus operandi so far has been one-sided and almost always detached from any political challenges that China directly faces. In fact, while there is no official Japanese version of the naval operation, Japan’s chief cabinet secretary has given some hints, saying that the country feels a strong sense of crisis after the Chinese military repeatedly violated its airspace. One after another in a short period of time.

Image | US Pacific Fleet

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