"Barfleur" departed Malta for the Far East on 6 February 1898 and arrived at Singapore on 4 March 1898. From there she accompanied the destroyers and to Hong Kong, where she joined the China Station. On 1 October 1898, "Barfleur" became the flagship of the station's second-in-command, Rear-Admiral Charles FitzGerald. On 26 October 1899 Captain Sir George Warrender was appointed in command of the ship. FitzGerald was relieved by Rear-Admiral Sir James Bruce on 23 December 1899. During the Boxer Rebellion, the ship put landing parties ashore which joined other forces in storming the Taku forts on 16–17 June 1900 and in relieving the foreign legations at Tientsin on 13–14 July 1900. Commander David Beatty, 1st Earl Beatty (the future First Sea Lord) was serving aboard "Barfleur" when he was wounded at Tientsin during operations ashore. In September 1900, the battleship relieved "Barfleur" as flagship and she became a private ship again. The ship departed Hong Kong on 11 November 1901 and arrived at Plymouth on 31 December 1901.