China's military has called a British warship's recent passage through the Taiwan Strait a disruptive act of "intentional provocation" that "undermines peace and stability". The British Royal Navy says the HMS Spey's patrol on Wednesday was part of a long-planned deployment and was in accordance with international law.

A British patrol ship passed through the Taiwan Strait on Wednesday, less than a week after a Japanese destroyer made a similar trip through the contentious waterway. The offshore patrol vessel HMS Spey carried out the passage as part of a freedom-of-navigation operation that was welcomed by Taiwan,