China protests after British warship sails close to disputed Paracel Islands

Beijing on Thursday protested against Britain’s move to send a warship close to islands it claims in the South China Sea, calling it a “provocative action” that “infringed on China’s sovereignty”.

The group of more than 30 islands, known in Chinese as Xisha, is currently controlled by China but also claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan.

The Albion was on its way to Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam, where it docked on Monday following a deployment in and around Japan.

Beijing dispatched a frigate and two helicopters to challenge the British vessel, but both sides remained calm during the encounter, Reuters reported on Thursday, quoting an anonymous source.

Another source told Reuters that the Albion did not enter the territorial seas – within 12 nautical miles – around any features in the hotly contested region but sailed close enough to show that Britain does not recognise Beijing’s claims to the Paracels.