The US military scaled back and kept a low profile for its transits through the Taiwan Strait last year in contrast with increased passage by its allies, according to a report released by a leading Chinese think tank.
In 2025, the remaining Five Eyes countries – Australia, Canada, Britain and New Zealand – deployed six warships to conduct five Taiwan Strait transits, all of which were accompanied by official public statements, according to a report released on Tuesday by the South China Sea Strategic Situation Probing Initiative.
The report said the “notable rise” in transits by non-US extra-regional countries began in 2024, with growing involvement by European and Oceanic countries compared with the previously dominant US and Canada.
Hu Bo, director of the think tank, said such transits did not pose a direct military threat to mainland China, but were increasingly politicised, drawing criticism from Beijing.
01:50
Chinese fighter jet flies close to Philippine plane over disputed shoal in South China Sea, Manila says
“A military vessel transiting the Taiwan Strait is actually at a tactical disadvantage because the strait’s hydrographic conditions are not favourable for large warships,” Hu said.
此内容由惯性聚合(RSS阅读器)自动聚合整理，仅供阅读参考。 原文来自 — 版权归原作者所有。