The British aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales has made its first transit through the contested South China Sea—where China's claims of sovereignty overlap with those of other nations—after months of operations across the Pacific with allies and partners.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Why It Matters

The Prince of Wales has been on an eight-month mission, Operation Highmast , since April, deploying across the Mediterranean, Middle East, Southeast Asia, Australia and Japan as part of a pan-European initiative to maintain a naval presence in the Indo-Pacific, where the United States and China are competing for influence and dominance.

The transit of the South China Sea follows the September 12 passage of the Royal Navy f

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