China withdraws PLA Navy anniversary invitation to French warship after Taiwan Strait trip
- Source says Beijing feels US egged France into making contentious passage and China had expected its guests to understand sensitivities over the waterway
China withdrew an invitation to a French warship to take part in Tuesday’s naval parade off the port city of Qingdao after the vessel entered the Taiwan Strait, a source said.
Chinese defence ministry spokesman Ren Guoqiang said on Thursday that China lodged a protest with France after a warship illegally entered its waters while passing through the strait earlier this month.
Ren said warships were sent to escort the French vessel away from Chinese waters.
The frigate Vendémiaire was reported to have sailed through the international waterway on April 6. It was expected to join Tuesday’s celebration to mark the 70th anniversary of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy, but a military delegation took its place.
The French defence ministry said it was “in close contact with the Chinese authorities” about the incident.
“The navy passes on average once a year in the Taiwan Strait without incident or reaction,” it said. “France reaffirms its attachment to the freedom of navigation in accordance with the law of the sea.”