An Australian naval vessel transited the Taiwan Strait over the weekend, drawing the attention of Chinese and international media. The Defense Ministry issued a statement Monday, February 23, that Taiwan’s armed forces were aware of the transit and that, as the Taiwan Strait is international waters, all countries may freely navigate through it.

Foreign media reported on the route of the Royal Australian Navy’s Anzac-class frigate Toowoomba conducted a routine transit through the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait last Friday through Saturday. The ship was closely monitored by Taipei and Beijing, with the Towoomba’s helicopter approaching the median line Friday afternoon, before returning to the ship following a warning from Taiwanese forces. The trip was part of a regional presence deployment in the Indo-Pacific region, according to the Australian Defense Department.

The Defense Ministry said that the ROC Armed Forces monitor and control air and sea activities surrounding Taiwan using a combination of intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance. 

The ministry also emphasized that the Taiwan Strait is international waters, meaning all countries have the right of free navigation. To that end, it stated it will not proactively release information on the movements of allied nations’ ships and aircraft.