China blasts "trouble-making" Royal Navy for sailing through Taiwan Strait on HMS Prince of Wales op
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Defiant Royal Navy sailors are continuing to sail through the Taiwan Strait despite the warnings from China.
Type 23 frigate HMS Richmond, currently deployed on Operation Highmast alongside HMS Prince of Wales’ UK Carrier Strike Group (UKCSG), transited through the area over the weekend. She was joined by the American guided missile destroyer USS Higgins.
Beijing's People's Liberation Army's (PLA) Eastern Theatre Command denounced the move and said they were engaged in “trouble-making and provocation”. "The actions of the United States and Britain send the wrong signals and undermine peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait," it said.
The Chinese Embassy issued a similar barrage while HMS Prince of Wales was docked in Tokyo, with the UK deepening its relationship with Japan. They previously said: “We urge Britain and Japan to deeply reflect on their erroneous words and deeds regarding Taiwan- and maritime-related issues, stop interfering in China’s internal affairs, and refrain from stirring up trouble and creating tensions in the Asia-Pacific region.”
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said the frigate was conducting a routine passage, adding that 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".
US Indo-Pacific Command supported the MoD’s description of the task, and described the strait as “beyond the territorial sea of any coastal state”. “Navigational rights and freedoms in the Taiwan Strait should not be limited," it added.
Beijing considers Taiwan to be part of the One China policy, which states the land is part of the nation by law. The sovereignty of Taiwan and its surrounding islands has been a longstanding geopolitical issue, with many believing in its own independence and identity.
The UK does not formally recognise Taiwan as its own state, or have formal diplomatic ties with them, Despite this, the UK holds strong relations with them and holds a presence through British Office Taipei. Its position is for the dispute to be resolved through dialogue.
HMS Spey, a River-class offshore patrol vessel, sailed through the Taiwan Strait in June - the first patrol of its kind in four years. Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs backed the decision as it defended “freedom of navigation”. The Strait transports more than $3 trillion of shipping commerce every year.