China’s military exercises in the waters around Taiwan have prompted some ships to navigate around the Taiwan Strait and give the island a wide berth, disrupting key trading routes for cargo and commodities sailing around the world. The exercises, China’s largest-ever around Taiwan, are a major show of strength after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visit. The disruption is a reminder of the severe impact a conflict over Taiwan could have on global trade given the 180-km wide (110-mile) Taiwan Strait and a shipping lane to the island’s east are major routes for ships transporting goods from East Asia to the United States and Europe. Nearly half the world’s container ships passed through the narrow Taiwan Strait which is also a key artery for natural gas.
