Chinese military officials have described the recent transit of a British vessel across the Taiwan Strait as a “intentional provocation” that “undermines peace and stability” and is disruptive. According to the British Royal Navy, HMS Spey’s patrol on Wednesday complied with international law and was a part of a well-planned deployment.
As a UK carrier strike group arrives in the area for a multi-month deployment, the patrol—the first by a British Navy warship in four years—occurs. China has not ruled out using force to “reunify” the island since it views Taiwan as its territory, a claim that self-governing Taiwan denies.
The UK’s statements were attacked by a Chinese military spokesperson as “a distortion of legal principles and an attempt to mislead the public” for “publicly hyping up” the voyage of HMS Spey.
“Such actions are intentional provocations that disrupt the situation and undermine peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait” . It further stated that Chinese forces “will resolutely counter all threats and provocations” and that it had kept an eye on HMS Spey during its passage through the strait.
A spokeswoman for China’s foreign ministry later stated that although China appreciates other nations’ freedom to navigate the Taiwan Strait, it “firmly opposes any country using the name of freedom of navigation to provoke and threaten China’s sovereign security.
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