NATO Member’s Warship Sends Message to China

The British Royal Navy recently sailed a warship through the South China Sea to assert “freedom of navigation,” pushing back against China’s territorial claims in the strategic waterway.

Newsweek reached out to the Chinese Foreign Ministry by email with a request for comment.

Why It Matters

China claims sovereignty over the majority of islands, reefs, and other features in the South China Sea, citing what it calls “historical rights,” despite an international arbitral tribunal’s 2016 decision that largely dismissed these claims.

The United States and a growing number of allied navies have stepped up transits to assert the right of passage and show support for the region in response to China’s increasing assertiveness.

What To Know

The HMS Spey, a Batch 2 River-class offshore patrol vessel, “conducted [a] freedom of navigation activity through the South China Sea,” the United Kingdom’s defense ministry wrote on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday.

The post stressed the transit was in line with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and that it underscored London’s commitment to a “free, open and stable South China Sea.”

China routinely condemns naval operations by countries outside the regions, saying they destabilize the region.

The U.K. has previously criticized China’s behavior within the Philippines’ maritime zone.

London condemned what it called “unsafe and escalatory tactics” after a December 2023 collision between China’s coast guard and a Philippine supply boat on a mission to disputed Second Thomas Shoal.

Chinese water cannons damaged the vessel’s engine as well as the mast of its Philippine coast guard escort, Manila said.

The Spey, along with its sister ship the HMS Tamar, has been permanently based in the Indo-Pacific since late 2021 as the U.K. sought a larger role in protecting the balance of power in the region.

The Royal Navy carried out its first “freedom of navigation” operation in the South China Sea in 2018, when it sent an amphibious assault ship through the contested Paracel Islands.

In April, the 295-foot Spey joined the annual Bersama Shield exercise, alongside forces from Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand, and Singapore.

During the 16 days of drills, the multinational force responded to a simulated invasion of a group of Malaysian islands.

What People Are Saying

The United Kingdom Permanent Joint Headquarters: “HMS SPEY has just conducted freedom of navigation activity through the South China Sea in accordance with UNCLOS [United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea].

“This activity underlines the UK’s commitment to international law and to upholding a free, open and stable South China Sea.”

What Happens Next

The U.K. is likely to continue its “freedom of navigation” activities in the South China Sea and other China-claimed areas, such as the Taiwan Strait.