As wars rage around the globe, it’s vital to remember the Taiwan Strait

As wars rage in the Red Sea, Ukraine, Gaza – and directly between Iran and Israel – it is vital that the international community also keeps a sharp eye on the Taiwan Strait, and China’s efforts to claim rights it does not possess across the region. Recent stand-offs in the Strait have reminded the world of the critical importance of sustained, global attention in this area.

Earlier this month, a US Navy P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft flew through the Taiwan Strait, just a day after high-level dialogue had resumed between US and Chinese defence chiefs. Declared by the US 7th Fleet as a routine transit above international waters, the flight reminds us of the ever-changing tensions that define this region and make it difficult to predict. China’s immediate reaction – scrambling fighter jets to monitor the transit – highlights the ongoing sensitivity around Taiwan, which readers will no doubt be aware is a significant point of contention in US-China relations.

The US Navy’s transit through the strait came at a particularly critical time, coinciding with the resumption of high-level military-to-military communications between the United States and China. These talks, which had been on hold since September 2021, are part of an effort to re-establish direct dialogue channels and prevent what many would describe as a ‘cold war’ between the two major powers from turning hot – whether due to mischance, misunderstanding or simple error.

This series of discussions, led for the US by Michael S Chase, deputy assistant secretary of defence for China, Taiwan, and Mongolia, marked the first in-person dialogue since January 2020. The US delegation hosted Chinese army Major General Song Yanchao, deputy director of China’s Military Commission Office for International Military Cooperation.

The agenda was comprehensive, by all accounts, focusing on operational safety and regional stability. Chase reportedly emphasised the United States’ dedication to safe and responsible operations in accordance with international law across the Indo-Pacific, affirming ongoing support for allies and partners within the region being bullied by Beijing.

Pleasingly, as all too often the USA is left to deal with China with little assistance from its Western allies, Germany recently announced its participation in the upcoming RIMPAC (Rim of the Pacific Exercise), the world’s largest international maritime warfare exercise. This year, RIMPAC will feature approximately 750 personnel from 29 nations, highlighting its status as a military ‘big deal’.

Vice Admiral Michael Boyle, commander of the US 3rd Fleet, described the exercise as a platform for building a lasting, combined capability, urging participants to extend their cooperation beyond the biennial event. If diplomacy is the carrot, this is the stick.

The German Navy’s commitment is particularly significant, marking a rare deployment that involves its newest frigate and a replenishment ship. This operation is one of the longest deployments undertaken by the German Navy in the history of the service, illustrating a profound shift in Germany’s focus beyond Europe and towards the Indo-Pacific. Vice Admiral Jan Christian Kaack of the German Navy publicly discussed the historic deployment, highlighting its role in reinforcing Germany’s commitment to the principles of a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific.”

This deployment represents a significant logistical endeavour for Germany. It symbolises a more robust European presence in Pacific waters, usually the playground of Asian and North American naval forces.

Japan will also play a prominent role in RIMPAC 2024, dispatching its two Izumo-class big decks, JS Izumo and JS Kaga. These pocket aircraft carriers will soon be F-35 able to carry air groups including F-35B fifth generation fighters, and this is their largest deployment to date. This substantial presence will be complemented by additional surface ships and submarines, and the whole point of the effort is to learn to fight and work with allies.

On land, the US Army’s recent deployment of the Typhon air defence system to the Philippines reflects a significant enhancement of regional missile defence, particularly against advanced emerging threats such as Chinese hypersonics, a threat the United States thankfully is keeping pace with. The Typhon system is essentially a land-based version of the US Navy’s Mark 41 vertical launch system. As such it is capable of launching the latest SM-6 interceptors. These are considered able not only to defend against ballistic missiles but also hypersonics: this is a serious commitment to reinforcing the security architecture in the region.

As Western nations bolster their presence in the Indo-Pacific, it is crucial to remember the global context in which these moves occur. While so many are, rightfully, concerned about the situation in the Middle East and Ukraine, the Indo-Pacific demands equally vigilant attention. We cannot afford to turn a blind eye to the cause of free and open navigation, or we’ll wake up one day to find China in control of vast swathes of previously international waters. It already claims most of the South China Sea within the so-called “Nine Dash Line” – a claim rejected by the international courts, but which China stands by nonetheless.

Germany’s participation in RIMPAC, alongside ongoing US operations, sends a strong signal of international cooperation and commitment: one which more European nations should seek to emulate. It highlights an essential truth: global security means just that, global. No region can be overlooked. More so, this partnership is a prime example of how Western allies can effectively collaborate in areas of strategic importance, helping to shoulder the military and diplomatic burden from the United States to present a united front. Doing so ensures that our collective security is not compromised by focusing too narrowly on other volatile regions.

The international community must, quite simply, step up and work together to uphold peace and stability across the globe. Otherwise the peace may not be kept, and nations may have no choice but to send their fighting ships to the Pacific to defend the values we all hold dear.