Overview
- Royal Navy frigate HMS Richmond and U.S. destroyer USS Higgins conducted a joint transit through the waterway on Sep. 12.
- The PLA Eastern Theatre Command said it dispatched naval and air assets to monitor and warn the ships, calling the operation “trouble-making and provocation.”
- The UK Ministry of Defence and U.S. Indo-Pacific Command described a routine, lawful transit through a corridor beyond any coastal state's territorial sea.
- UK defence sources reported shadowing and aircraft flyovers with no unusual or dangerous incidents publicly confirmed during the passage.
- Satellite imagery showed China’s new carrier Fujian operating in the area during sea trials, as allied navies continue periodic transits including recent Canadian and Australian passages.