China mobilizes military against Canadian warship passing Taiwan Strait [Video]

The Chinese military claimed that it deployed forces against a Canadian warship, which transited a contested waterway between China and the self-governed island of Taiwan.

Newsweek has reached out to the Canadian Armed Forces for comment by email.

Why It Matters

China has long claimed that it has “sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction” over the 110-mile-wide Taiwan Strait. However, under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, a state’s sovereignty ends after the 12 nautical miles of its territorial sea.

The United States, as well as its allies, have sent warships to the waterway to assert the freedom of navigation in international waters and to showcase their support for Taiwan, which Communist China considers its territory despite never having governed it.

What To Know

Taiwan first reported Sunday’s transit by HMCS Ottawa, a Canadian frigate, which passed through the Taiwan Strait northward. The island’s defense ministry said …