China's military has called a British warship's recent passage through the Taiwan Strait a disruptive act of "intentional provocation" that "undermines peace and stability". The British Royal Navy says the HMS Spey's patrol on Wednesday was part of a long-planned deployment and was in accordance with international law. The patrol - the first by a British naval vessel in four years - comes as a UK carrier strike group arrives in the region for a deployment that will last several months. China considers Taiwan its territory - a claim that self-ruled Taiwan rejects - and has not ruled out the use of force to "reunify" the island. China has criticised the UK for "publicly hyping up" the journey of the HMS Spey, and said the UK's claims were "a distortion of legal principles and an attempt to mislead the public". "Such actions are intentional provocations that disrupt the situation and undermine peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait". It added that it had monitored HMS Spey throughout its journey in the strait, and Chinese troops "will resolutely counter all threats and provocations". Taiwan's foreign ministry has meanwhile praised the patrol as an act that safeguarded the freedom of navigation in the Taiwan Strait. While American warships regularly conduct freedom of navigation exercises in the strait, the last time such a journey was undertaken by a British naval vessel was in 2021 when the warship HMS Richmond was deployed to Vietnam. That transit was similarly condemned by China, which had sent troops to monitor the ship. The HMS Spey is one of two British warships permanently on patrol in the Indo-Pacific. Its passage through the Taiwan Strait comes as a UK carrier strike group, led by the HMS Prince of Wales aircraft carrier, arrives in the Indo-Pacific region for an eight-month stint. British PM Keir Starmer has described it as one of the carrier's largest deployments this century that is aimed at "sending a clear message of strength to our adversaries, and a message of unity and purpose to our allies". Around 4,000 UK military personnel are taking part in the deployment. The group will be engaging with 30 countries through military operations and visits, and conduct exercises with the US, India, Singapore and Malaysia. Cross-strait tensions between China and Taiwan have heightened over the past year since Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te, who champions a firm anti-Beijing stance, took office. He has characterised Beijing as a "foreign hostile force" and introduced policies targeting Chinese influence operations in Taiwan. Meanwhile, China continues to conduct frequent military exercises in the Taiwan Strait, including a live-fire exercise in April that it claimed simulated strikes on key ports and energy facilities. China's latest criticism of the HMS Spey's transit comes as two Chinese aircraft carriers conduct an unprecedented simultaneous military drill in the Pacific off the waters of Japan,which has alarmed Tokyo.
China criticises UK warship's patrol in Taiwan Strait
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"China Denounces British Warship's Transit Through Taiwan Strait as Provocative"
Bbc News
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TruthLens AI Summary
China's military has condemned the recent passage of the British warship HMS Spey through the Taiwan Strait, labeling it a disruptive act of "intentional provocation" that undermines peace and stability in the region. The British Royal Navy has defended the patrol, stating that it was part of a long-planned deployment and conducted in accordance with international law. This patrol marks the first presence of a British naval vessel in the Taiwan Strait in four years, coinciding with the arrival of a UK carrier strike group in the area for a deployment lasting several months. China views Taiwan as its territory, a claim that Taiwan vehemently rejects, and has not dismissed the possibility of using force to achieve its goals of reunification. In its response, China accused the UK of "publicly hyping up" the HMS Spey's journey, asserting that such claims distort legal principles and mislead the public. Additionally, Chinese military forces have stated they were monitoring the HMS Spey throughout its transit and are prepared to counter any perceived threats or provocations.
Taiwan's foreign ministry has welcomed the HMS Spey's patrol, viewing it as an affirmation of the freedom of navigation within the Taiwan Strait. While American naval vessels frequently conduct freedom of navigation operations in the area, the last British naval vessel to traverse the strait was the HMS Richmond in 2021, which also faced condemnation from China. The HMS Spey is one of two British warships that maintain a permanent presence in the Indo-Pacific region. The ongoing deployment is characterized by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer as one of the largest carrier deployments in this century, aimed at demonstrating strength to adversaries and fostering unity among allies. Approximately 4,000 UK military personnel are involved in this extensive deployment, which includes military operations and exercises with 30 countries, notably the US, India, Singapore, and Malaysia. Tensions between China and Taiwan have intensified recently, particularly following the election of Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te, who has taken a staunch anti-Beijing stance. Meanwhile, China has ramped up its military activities in the Taiwan Strait, including recent live-fire exercises, while simultaneously conducting significant military drills with its aircraft carriers in the Pacific, raising concerns in neighboring Japan.
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