Royal Navy: Defiant HMS Spey ignores China warnings and patrols Taiwan strait amid HMS Prince of Wales op

Portsmouth-based warship HMS Spey carried out patrols in the Taiwan Strait on Wednesday in defiance against the wishes of Beijing. This was the first transit of its kind in four years.

China asserts Taiwan is a province in the People’s Republic, but the latter believes it’s an independent state. The British Office in Taipai said the River-class offshore patrol vessel “conducted a navigation of the Taiwan Strait”, stating this was in accordance to international law and rights provided under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

They added: “Wherever the Royal Navy operates, it does so in full compliance with international law and exercises its right to Freedom of Navigation and overflight.” Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs backed the decision.

“The British Royal Navy patrol ship HMS Spey passed through the Taiwan Strait on June 18 this year,” they added. “The British side once again defended the freedom of navigation in the Taiwan Strait with concrete actions and demonstrated its firm position that the Taiwan Strait is international waters. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomes and affirms this.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs encourages like-minded countries such as the United Kingdom to jointly safeguard peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, promote a free and open Indo-Pacific region, and maintain a rules-based international order.”

China has attacked the UK for HMS Spey’s patrol. Its ambassador to the UK said: “I would like to remind the UK side that China’s rights and interests in the South China Sea have been established in the long course of history and have solid and 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 and staunch will to safeguard its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests.”

A 2026 ruling from the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, Netherlands, said the South China Sea is governed by international maritime laws, including the principle of freedom of navigation. HMS Spey, alongside her sister ship HMS Tamar, are tasked with protecting the freedom of navigation in the Indo-Pacific - representing the Royal Navy and UK’s interests in the far east.

Both warships are joined by flagship HMS Prince of Wales and the UK Carrier Strike Group (UKCSG), who are deployed to the Indo-Pacific on an eight-month deployment. Operation Highmast. Various diplomatic port visits to Japan, India, Australia and elsewhere are planned, alongside gruelling military drills involving international navies.

Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer previously called for more patrols in the Pacific to counter China’s sphere of influence. He added: “As responsible international players, we cannot turn a blind eye to the challenges faced by our friends and partners on the other side of the world, so my message today is clear: this is just the beginning of our commitment to the Indo-Pacific. Combining expertise, local knowledge and investment, I truly believe we can create unique opportunities for people both in the Pacific and at home, and in doing so, we play our part in ensuring a safer, fairer world.”