Defiant HMS Prince of Wales ignores China warnings in contested waters - General reflects on "convening power"

HMS Prince of Wales, currently at the helm of the UK Carrier Strike Group (UKCSG) on Operation Highmast, is in Singapore after sailing through the South China Sea. Confirmed via the UKCSG social media account, they said: “Having transited the South China Sea, it’s great for us to be back in Singapore.”

Beijing previously took aim at the Royal Navy for operating in the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait. HMS Richmond, a Type 23 frigate attached to the UKCSG, transited through the Taiwan Strait alongside American destroyer USS Higgins last week.

The People's Liberation Army's (PLA) Eastern Theatre Command accused both parties of “trouble-making and provocation”. Specifically citing the South China Sea after HMS Spey sailed through the area in June, the country’s ambassador to the UK added said the force will “not shake China’s firm resolve and staunch will to safeguard its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests”.

“I would like to remind the UK side that China’s rights and interests in the South China Sea have been established in the long course of history and have solid and legal basis,” they said.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) previously said the Royal Navy operates “in full compliance with international law and norms, and exercises freedom of navigation rights in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)".

The Royal Navy regularly patrols waters in the Pacific and elsewhere to uphold the freedom of navigation for all sailors under UNCLOS. A 2016 ruling from the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, Netherlands, said the South China Sea is governed by international maritime laws, including the principle of freedom of navigation.

Once HMS Prince of Wales reached Singapore, a press conference was held to discuss the deployment so far and the upcoming Five Power Defence Arrangements' Exercise Bersama Lima. The UK In Singapore social media account said the visit reinforces the bilateral relationship between both nations.

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The Royal Navy flagship has been at the centre of diplomatic events on Operation Highmast, the largest being the Pacific Future Forum in Tokyo. Senior military officials held discussions on the security threats they faced, while businesses showcased the latest technology.

Reflecting on the event, First Sea Lord General Sir Gwyn Jenkins told the Council on Geostrategy: “The PFF brings together industry, allies and partners who contribute to the amazing capability of CSG2025, but who also have an investment and interest in seeing the UK’s defence – and the defence of our allies – develop into the future.

I’ve been enthused by the depth of conversation, but also by the deeply thought intellectual debate about what the future of our forces should look like, and what the engagement between Europe and the Indo-Pacific should be. In a world that is awash with conferences in anodyne theatres, the chance to come on board a British aircraft carrier, with its phenomenal convening power, is what set the PFF apart over the two days in Tokyo.”