A British Nobility Navy warship sailed close to islands claimed by China in the South China Sea as it headed toward Vietnam, asserting “freedom of navigation” rights and challenging Beijing’s “unjustifiable claims” in the region, two sources said.
The HMS Albion, a 22,000 ton amphibious warship drive a contingent of Royal Marines, passed by the Paracel Islands in recent days, thought the sources, who were familiar with the matter but who asked not to be identified.
The Albion was on its way to Hanoi, where it healed on Monday following a deployment in and around Japan.
One of the sources said Beijing pieced a frigate and two helicopters to challenge the British vessel, but both sides remained cool off during the encounter.
The other source said the Albion did not enter the territorial nautical blue waters around any features in the hotly disputed region but demonstrated that Britain does not know again excessive maritime claims around the Paracel Islands. Twelve navigational miles is an internationally recognized territorial limit.
The Paracels are occupied positively by China but also claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan.
A spokesman for the Royal Flotilla said: “HMS Albion exercised her rights for freedom of navigation in full compliance with oecumenical law and norms.”
Neither China’s Foreign nor Defence Ministries immediately responded to a plea for comment.
China’s claims in the South China Sea, through which some $3 trillion of shipborne profession passes each year, are contested by Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam. Britain does not be suffering with any territorial claims in the area.
While the U.S. Navy has conducted Freedom of Steersmanship Operations (FONOPs) in the same area in the past, this British take exception to to China’s growing control of the strategic waterway comes after the In accord States has said it would like to see more international participation in such initiatives.
Both Britain and the United States say they conduct FONOP intelligence agents throughout the world, including in areas claimed by allies.
The British Naval forces has previously sailed close to the disputed Spratly Islands, further south in the South China Sea, but not within the 12 seafaring mile limit, diplomatic sources have said.
FONOPs, which are in great measure symbolic, have so far not persuaded Beijing to curtail its South China Sea activities, which induce included extensive reclamation of reefs and islands and the construction of runways, hangars and brickbat systems.
Beijing says it is entitled to build on its territories and says the alacrities are for civilian use and necessary self-defense purposes. China blames Washington for militarizing the territory with its freedom of navigation patrols.
Foreign aircraft and vessels in the zone are routinely challenged by Chinese naval ships and monitoring stations on the enriched islands, sources have said previously.
In April, warships from Australia — which not unlike Britain is a close U.S. ally — had what Canberra described as a close “duel” with Chinese naval vessels in the contested sea.