TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — British Defense Secretary John Healey said in a media interview on Sunday that the UK is prepared for battle in the Pacific region if China invades Taiwan.

The Daily Telegraph reported that the UK aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales is docked in Darwin, Australia, for joint military exercises with the US and other allies. Healey boarded the carrier on Sunday with Australian Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles.

When asked by the newspaper what steps the UK is taking to help countries such as Taiwan prepare for potential Chinese military escalation, Healey said, “If we have to fight, as we have done in the past, Australia and the UK are nations that will fight together. We exercise together and by exercising together and being more ready to fight, we deter better together.”

Healey’s remarks are among the strongest yet from a UK official regarding involvement in a potential regional war. However, he stressed that he was speaking “in general terms.”

Healey said the UK still hopes disputes in the Indo-Pacific can be resolved peacefully and through diplomacy. “We secure peace through strength, and our strength comes from our allies,” he added.

He noted that the threats in the Indo-Pacific region are growing. China has occupied disputed islands and has been accused of intimidating neighboring countries.

The HMS Prince of Wales, which carries F-35 fighter jets, sailed from Singapore to northern Australia, the first British carrier to do so since 1997. It is expected to continue to Japan, possibly passing near Taiwan.

The British government has previously avoided commenting on whether it would intervene if conflict erupted. However, the Royal Navy keeps two patrol vessels permanently stationed in the Indo-Pacific.

Earlier this month, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was asked by the media whether Australia would join the US and other allies in countering China if conflict broke out, but he declined to comment. The UK’s National Security Strategy, released in June, acknowledged that “there is a particular risk of escalation around Taiwan.”

British Foreign Secretary David Lammy also boarded the HMS Prince of Wales. In June, he told Parliament that the UK plans more freedom of navigation missions in the Taiwan Strait and South China Sea.

Last month, the Royal Navy patrol vessel HMS Spey transited the Taiwan Strait, drawing praise from Taiwan and criticism from China. The last time a British naval vessel transited the strait was in 2021, when the HMS Richmond passed through on its way to Vietnam.

As the UK appears to be increasing its focus on the Indo-Pacific, Healey was also asked by The Telegraph whether the UK would engage in more formal contact with Taiwan. He replied, “There’s no change in the UK’s approach to Taiwan.”