Beijing: British frigate Sailing through a Taiwan Strait is sensitive on Monday on the way to Vietnam, according to an official tweet from the ship, in one step the possibility of anger Beijing amid increasing tensions between China and Taiwan.
China claims Taiwan as its own region and has increased military and political pressure to force the island to rule democratically to receive Chinese sovereignty.
While US warships pass through the Strait almost monthly, regardless of the Chinese opposition, US allies are generally reluctant to follow the suit.
Defense Minister Taiwan Chiu Kuo-Cheng did not comment directly when asked about British warships, said he did not know what a foreign ship’s mission in the Taiwan Strait was being carried out.
“When they pass through the Taiwan military strait of the nation we will have an understanding of the situation, but will not interfere,” he told reporters in Taipei, adding them to keep up with all the movements near Taiwan.
HMS Richmond Britain has been deployed in the East China Sea which took part in the UN sanctions enforcement operation against North Korea.
China has increased its training around Taiwan and flying air force planes almost every day to the southwestern part of the Taiwan Air Defense Zone.