China military condemns Canadian warship Montreal’s transit of Taiwan Strait
- People’s Liberation Army air and naval forces were on alert and monitoring the warship throughout its passage, a spokesman says
Naval Senior Captain Li Xi, spokesman for the PLA Eastern Theatre Command, said its forces remained on alert throughout the HMCS Montreal’s transit on the previous day, which was monitored in accordance with China’s laws and regulations.
In a statement published on the Eastern Theatre Command’s official WeChat account, Li also said the Canadian government had “publicly hyped up” the situation and that its actions “undermined peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait”.
According to the statement, theatre command troops are maintaining “a high test of readiness at all times” and are prepared to respond to any threats of provocations.
Li’s remarks followed an announcement on Wednesday by the Canadian Joint Operations Command that the Montreal had “recently conducted a routine transit through the Taiwan Strait”.
The statement, on social media platform X, did not specify when the transit occurred but said Canada supported the “rules-based international order” and that its activities promoted “peace, resilience and security” in the Indo-Pacific.
Also on Wednesday, Canadian Defence Minister Bill Blair said the Montreal’s transit reaffirmed his country’s commitment to a “free, open and inclusive” Indo-Pacific.
