It would be the German military’s second passage since 2002, despite the United States and other countries, including Canada, having sent warships through the sea in recent weeks.
China asserts that it has control over Taiwan, which is roughly 180 kilometers long. Taiwan strongly opposes China’s claims of sovereignty and asserts that only the region’s residents can determine their future.
About half of global pot ships pass through the Taiwan Strait, which both the United States and Taiwan claim to be an international waterway.
Rear Admiral Axel Schulz, the head of the European marine job group, claimed last month that this passage would show how committed Germany is to a rules-based purchase and the peaceful resolution of territorial disputes.
The two European warships are taking part in tasks in the region with France, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines and the United States.
Beijing often denounces sailings through the canal by foreign warships, saying they “undermine peace and stability” in the area.
In response to Beijing’s growing regional interests, Germany, for which both China and Taiwan are big trading partners, has joined other European countries in expanding its military presence in the area.