Despite Chinese protests about the use of the waterway — which it claims jurisdiction over — German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has insisted that the ships are in international waters.
A German warship and an accompanying navy vessel entered the Taiwan Strait on Friday, despite protests from China, which claims sovereignty over Taiwan and asserts influence over the body of water.
“International waters are international waters,” said German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius on Friday at a press conference with his Lithuanian counterpart Laurynas Kasciunas.
“It’s the shortest route and, given the weather conditions, the safest, so we’re going through.”
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The use of the strait angers Beijing, but it is officially an international waterway and major trade route through which around half of global container ships pass.
I guess it’s possible you could have a more traditional interpretation. China has failed to forcibly defend territory it asserts authority over; therefore, it has allowed such passage or it has tacitly abandoned such claims.
That’s not what’s happening.
In 50 years time, they’ll be able to say they’ve asserted claims since forever, list all the countries which have observed their claims, and point to instances like this one where they’ve shown restraint to avoid an international incident.
They’ve been playing this exact game in the south China Sea since forever.
That’s not how any of this works. There isn’t adverse possession in geopolitics. If the world says it’s not yours it starts being called “contested” — like Kashmir or Transnistria. That would be a huge step backwards for China on the issue. Honestly, they’ve already lost this one for the foreseeable future — they don’t have a political path forward and they absolutely lack the ability to resolve the matter by force.
That’s exactly how this works.
Why are freedom of navigation exercises a thing?
Why does China pay many billions in “aid” to island nations in exchange for recognition of these claims?
Why would China bother making the assertion when the outcome is predictable and obvious?
This is part of a much larger campaign from China in south East Asian waters taking place over many decades. It’s a well understood and publicised strategy.