UK: Warship transit through Taiwan Strait is to uphold UNCLOS

Admiral Rob Magowan, Commander of the UK's Cyber and Special Operations Command (CSOC), stated at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on the 30th that the UK's dispatch of warships through the Taiwan Strait is intended to demonstrate freedom of navigation and uphold the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Magowan cited the English Channel as an example, noting that the UK does not oppose the transit of vessels from any country and that promoting freedom of maritime operations enhances global economic prosperity. He emphasized the importance of UNCLOS, stating that countries should not arbitrarily designate "no-go" zones. Meanwhile, former Chinese Vice Foreign Minister and Ambassador to the U.S., Cui Tiankai, argued that the situation in the Taiwan Strait is fundamentally different from the Strait of Hormuz, claiming the issue is about "China's territorial integrity and national reunification." In response, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command Deputy Commander Lieutenant General George Rowell stated that the U.S. conducts freedom of navigation operations not only in the Taiwan Strait but also in other parts of the world.