A group of US lawmakers held a rare publicly disclosed meeting with Taiwan’s top defense official, a discussion that risks spurring China to step up its military intimidation of the democracy.

China's military has called a British warship's recent passage through the Taiwan Strait a disruptive act of "intentional provocation" that "undermines peace and stability". The British Royal Navy says the HMS Spey's patrol on Wednesday was part of a long-planned deployment and was in accordance with international law.

Britain has enraged China by sailing one of its warships through the Taiwan Strait. HMS Spey, a Royal Navy patrol vessel, sailed through the waterway – which flows between China and Taiwan, and over which Beijing claims sovereignty – on Wednesday.