As Five Eyes allies boost Taiwan Strait transits, why is US going a different route?

AdvertisementSouth China SeaChinaMilitaryAs Five Eyes allies boost Taiwan Strait transits, why is US going a different route?

Chinese think tank notes changing risks: ‘China will inevitably respond, and that makes the overall situation appear more tense’

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Amber Wangin BeijingPublished: 11:09am, 27 May 2026Updated: 12:19pm, 27 May 2026

The US military scaled back and kept a low profile for its transits through the Taiwan Strait last year in contrast with increased passage by its allies, according to a report released by a leading Chinese think tank.

In 2025, the remaining Five Eyes countries – Australia, Canada, Britain and New Zealand – deployed six warships to conduct five Taiwan Strait transits, all of which were accompanied by official public statements, according to a report released on Tuesday by the South China Sea Strategic Situation Probing Initiative.

The report said the “notable rise” in transits by non-US extra-regional countries began in 2024, with growing involvement by European and Oceanic countries compared with the previously dominant US and Canada.

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Hu Bo, director of the think tank, said such transits did not pose a direct military threat to mainland China, but were increasingly politicised, drawing criticism from Beijing.

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“A military vessel transiting the Taiwan Strait is actually at a tactical disadvantage because the strait’s hydrographic conditions are not favourable for large warships,” Hu said.

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