China condemns passage of US, British warships through Taiwan Strait
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The US and its allies continue to provoke China by passing their warships through what China describes as Chinese territorial waters
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In this photo released by US Navy, the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Higgins (DDG 76) conducts bilateral operations with Royal Canadian Navy Halifax-class frigate HMCS Vancouver (FFH 331) during routine operations in the Taiwan strait Sunday, Oct 20, 2024 (Mass Communications Specialist 3rd Class Trevor Hale/US Navy via AP)
The Chinese army on Friday condemned the passage of a US and a British warship through the Taiwan Strait, announcing that it had ordered its naval and air forces to track and warn the vessels.
In a statement, the Eastern Theater Command said the US destroyer USS Higgins and the British frigate HMS Richmond were engaged in "provoking trouble and creating tensions." It added that "the actions of the United States and Britain send the wrong signals and undermine peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait."
The British Ministry of Defense, for its part, described the passage as routine, stating: "Wherever the Royal Navy operates, it does so in full compliance with international law and norms, exercising the right to freedom of navigation under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea."
The United States has not issued any comment on the incident.
A week earlier, two warships, one Canadian and the other Australian, also transited the strait, prompting a similar response from Beijing, which accused them of "causing trouble and provoking."
Rising tensions in the Strait
This latest episode comes as China expands its naval presence in the region. On September 11, China’s newest aircraft carrier, the Fujian, completed trial transits through the strait before entering full service.
Meanwhile, Taipei has approved NT$550 billion ($18.1 billion) in special defense spending, part of President Lai Ching-te’s agenda to bolster military preparedness.
Additionally, Taiwan is issuing updated civil defense handbooks to prepare its population for potential conflict and to warn against alleged Chinese disinformation campaigns, including deepfake claims of "Taiwan’s surrender."
China regards Taiwan as an inseparable part of its territory and considers the Taiwan Strait part of its sovereign waters. Beijing has repeatedly asserted that foreign naval transits undermine stability and challenge its sovereignty.
The United States and its allies, however, view the strait as an international waterway, insisting on the principle of freedom of navigation.
