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China criticises UK warship's patrol in Taiwan Strait
TAIWAN STRAIT, JUN 18 – The HMS Spey’s passage, the first British warship transit in four years, was part of a long-planned deployment asserting freedom of navigation amid rising regional military tensions.
- On June 18, 2025, the British vessel HMS Spey completed a routine passage of the waters separating Taiwan and mainland China, coming shortly after the Japanese destroyer JS Takanami made a similar journey on June 12.
- These patrols occurred amid rising regional tensions involving China, Taiwan, and allied naval activity, with China viewing the strait as its waters and disputing international navigation claims.
- China's Eastern Theater Command condemned HMS Spey's passage as a provocative act that distorts legal principles and undermines peace, while Taiwan welcomed the freedom-of-navigation operations.
- HMS Spey undertook a lawful and prearranged patrol, navigating for over ten hours from the East China Sea into the South China Sea as part of an ongoing Indo-Pacific mission involving 4,000 UK personnel.
- The events underscore ongoing military vigilance and diplomatic challenges in the Taiwan Strait, with China ready to counter perceived threats and allies affirming navigation rights in this contested waterway.
48 Articles
48 Articles
Chinese PLA’s Eastern Theater Command effectively responds to UK warship’s transit through Taiwan Straits, slams UK’s intentional provocations
The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA)’s Eastern Theater Command issued a statement on Friday regarding the UK offshore patrol vessel HMS Spey’s transit through the Taiwan Straits on Wednesday, slamming the UK for publicly hyping up the transit.
UK Royal Navy Passes Through Taiwan Strait, Angers China
A British Royal Navy vessel sailed through the Taiwan Strait on Wednesday, drawing the ire of the Chinese regime, which claims sovereignty over Taiwan, a self-ruled island. “HMS Spey’s routine navigation through the Taiwan Strait was part of a long-planned deployment and took place in full compliance with international law,” a Royal Navy spokesperson said in a statement on Thursday. The patrol vessel is only the second Royal Navy warship to sail…
China opposes any country's provocations in name of 'freedom of navigation' in Taiwan Straits
China opposes any country's provocative actions in relevant waters of the Taiwan Straits in the name of "freedom of navigation," said a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry on Friday.
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