The Royal Navy has confirmed that offshore patrol vessel HMS Spey transited the Taiwan Strait on Wednesday, 18 June, drawing sharp criticism from Beijing but receiving strong support from Taiwanese authorities.
In a statement, the British Office in Taipei said the transit was conducted in accordance with international law, specifically the rights outlined in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
“HMS Spey conducted a navigation of the Taiwan Strait in accordance with international law and rights provided under UNCLOS. Wherever the Royal Navy operates, it does so in full compliance with international law and exercises its right to Freedom of Navigation and overflight,” the office stated.
Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomed the move, calling it a reaffirmation of the UK’s commitment to the principle that the Taiwan Strait constitutes international waters. The ministry described the transit as a “practical action” defending freedom of navigation and demonstrating Britain’s “firm position” on the matter.
First UK Transit Since 2021
This marks the first Royal Navy transit of the Taiwan Strait since 2021, when HMS Richmond passed through the region en route from Japan to Vietnam. That deployment, part of the UK’s Carrier Strike Group mission, was closely monitored by Chinese military forces and was strongly criticised by Beijing.
Following this week’s transit, Chinese officials again expressed opposition. In a prior statement, China’s ambassador to the UK said:
“China’s rights and interests in the South China Sea have been established over a long course of history and have a solid legal basis. The UK’s picking on China by making an issue of the ‘award’ of the South China Sea arbitration, which is illegal, null and void, will not shake China’s firm resolve to safeguard its territorial sovereignty.”
Despite these claims, a 2016 ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague rejected China’s expansive territorial assertions in the region, declaring them to have no legal foundation. The ruling upheld that international maritime law applies across the South China Sea, including principles such as freedom of navigation.
Reinforcing the Rules-Based Order
The UK’s decision to deploy HMS Spey through the strait is viewed by allies as a reinforcement of the rules-based international order at sea and a rejection of unilateral claims to international waters.
British participation in freedom of navigation operations (FONOPs) aligns with similar efforts by allied nations, including the United States, Canada, and Germany, all of which have conducted transits through the Taiwan Strait in recent months.
Such operations are increasingly seen as essential to preserving peace, stability, and maritime rights in the Indo-Pacific, a region that continues to see heightened tensions due to overlapping territorial claims and military posturing.
