China says U.K. warship in Taiwan Strait shows "evil intentions"
Taipei China bristled on Monday over Britain's decision to send a Royal Navy warship sailing through the sensitive Taiwan Strait, saying the act "harbored evil intentions." China claims democratically-ruled Taiwan as its own territory, and has increased pressure on the small island in recent years to accept Beijing as its capital.
The Royal Navy announced that the HMS Richmond, a frigate deployed as part of a U.K. aircraft carrier strike group, was sailing through the Taiwan Strait on Monday in a move that challenges Beijing's claim to the sensitive waterway.
"After a busy period working with partners and allies in the East China Sea, we are now en route through the Taiwan Strait to visit Vietnam and the Vietnam People's Navy," read a tweet from the official account for HMS Richmond.
Local media said it was the first time a British warship had transited through the narrow waterway separating Taiwan and mainland China, however the British navy survey ship HMS Enterprise transited through the strait in 2019.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/china-says-uk-warship-in-taiwan-strait-shows-evil-intentions/ar-AAOS9PM