Context is everything and, if possible in a geopolitical sense, much more. So what is sometimes mistaken as staging for the gallery of this or that nation, especially the extraction of the military arsenal in question, often has more than one meaning behind all that equipment. Therefore, it is certainly not a coincidence that Japan took a warship for a “walk” 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 passed through the Taiwan Strait between Taiwan and China for the first time in history.

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

China and Taiwan. It is no secret that the relationship between China and Taiwan has always been fraught, so much so that tensions between them have at times reached such intensity that they could trigger a large-scale conflict. A year ago, we even said that Taiwan had a plan to avoid being left alone in the event of a war with China.

But tensions have intensified so much this year that the concept of “Made in Taiwan” is in danger of extinction as many electronics companies move abroad for fear of what could happen. Faced with this flight of talent, the Taiwanese government directly confronted China.

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

Inside the story. The sovereignty of the island is again in the background. China views Taiwan as a rebel province that should eventually be reunified with Chinese territory. However, 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 maintains an ambiguous policy on this issue: it officially recognizes China under the “one China” policy but also supports Taiwan . through defense and arms supply agreements.

Throat So we arrive at the disagreement zone. The Taiwan Strait, which separates the island from the mainland, is also a key strategic point for global trade, and control of this strait is essential for the security of the Indo-Pacific region. What’s going on? China’s military exercises in the Bosphorus are increasing tensions with other countries, especially the United States and its Asian allies such as Japan and Australia, who also 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; Other countries have also shown support for Taiwan as part of an effort to maintain security and freedom of navigation in this important region.

And Japan is pulling out its arsenal. This makes it easier to understand that Japan launched the warship a few hours ago. Neither Japan, Taiwan nor China has officially commented on this step. Chinese state newspaper Global Times, citing an unnamed source, said that the Chinese army “followed and observed throughout the tour.” [de los buques] And we got the situation under control.”

Additionally, the move comes after the United States and its allies increased patrols to defend freedom of navigation in the 180-kilometer-long strait. In this context, both the United States and Taiwan reiterate that this is an important trade and transportation route through which approximately half of the world’s container fleet passes, which is part of international waters and is open to all warships.

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

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

stagings. As we said at the beginning, when we see a nation that almost always displays its most beautiful clothes, there is a double reading. As things stand, these transitions appear to have a clear political component and are likely designed to show China that the United States and its allies do not accept Beijing’s demands.

For Japan, this is another step that also seems important. His modus operandi so far has been one-sided and almost always removed from any political challenge directly facing China. In fact, although there is no official Japanese version of the naval operation, Japan’s chief cabinet secretary offered some hints, saying that the country felt 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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