On the morning of September 27, the British frigate HMS Richmond announced that it was passing through the Taiwan Strait. The ship turned on the signal while moving as if it wanted to send a message to China.
The British Royal Navy’s frigate HMS Richmond – Photo: HMS RICHMOND
“We are crossing the Taiwan Strait to visit Vietnam and the Vietnam People’s Navy,” HMS Richmond’s blue-tick Twitter account announced at dawn on September 27.
Previously, warships of the British Royal Navy had operated in the East China Sea, an area where there is a territorial dispute between China and Japan.
According to the “South China Sea Strategic Situation Initiative” (SCSPI), a Chinese research center, the frigate HMS Richmond turned on the AIS ship identification system when it entered the Taiwan Strait.
The action of the British warship seems to be informative to China but equally challenging. In the past, British and American warships usually only announced their passage through the Taiwan Strait after the task was done.
China has not yet responded to the action of the British warship. Beijing considers Taiwan part of its territory and often opposes it when other countries send warships or planes into the Taiwan Strait.
The United States and its allies, including Britain, claim the roughly 200km-wide strait between the island of Taiwan and mainland China as part of the “free and open” Indo-Pacific. Sending warships through the area, according to Washington and its allies, is in accordance with international law.
On September 18, the US destroyer USS Barry passed through the Taiwan Strait, marking the 9th time since the beginning of this year that the US sent a warship to the region.
After leaving the European Union, the UK has stepped up its “Global Britain” strategy to increase its influence and presence in the Indo-Pacific.
Taiwan’s CNA news agency commented that the frigate HMS Richmond passed through the Taiwan Strait early on September 27 as part of the above effort. According to CNA, this is proof that London views Taiwan’s security as an important issue in the Indo-Pacific.
In an interview with Nikkei Asia on September 16, Admiral Tony Radakin of the Royal Navy announced that London would deploy two patrol boats to the region “within at least the next five years”.
Mr. Radakin also asserted that “the Taiwan Strait is international waters” and “can be used by different countries”.
HMS Richmond is one of the escort ships of the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth currently in the Western Pacific. Last month, the group of ships the Taiwan Strait while traveling from the South China Sea to Japan.
