Britain plans to send warship to South China Sea in move likely to irk Beijing

lcafanboy

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Britain plans to send warship to South China Sea in move likely to irk Beijing


SYDNEY (Reuters) - Britain plans to send a warship to the disputed South China Sea next year to conduct freedom of navigation exercises, Defence Minister Michael Fallon said on Thursday, a move likely to anger Beijing.

Britain would increase its presence in the waters after it sent four British fighter planes for joint exercises with Japan in the region last year, he said.

China claims most of the energy-rich sea where neighbors Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have claims.

"We hope to send a warship to region next year. We have not finalised exactly where that deployment will take place but we won't be constrained by China from sailing through the South China Sea," Fallon told Reuters.

"We have the right of freedom of navigation and we will exercise it."

The presence of a British vessel threatens to stoke tensions, escalated by China's naval build-up and its increasingly assertive stance.

The comments by Fallon came after Britain's Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said the country's two new aircraft carriers would be sent to the region.

Johnson did not specify where exactly the vessels would be sent once operational in 2020, though the presence of such firepower will likely heighten tensions in the region.

Speaking in Beijing on Friday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said none of the recent comments "playing up" tension in the South China Sea were made by regional countries.


Britain's Secretary of State for Defence Michael Fallon arrives for a media conference in Sydney, Australia July 27, 2017.David Gray
"Countries in the region are working together to safeguard and promote regional peace and prosperity, yet we see other countries who insist on stirring up trouble while the situation is trending towards calm in the South China Sea," he told a daily news briefing.

China's construction of islands and military facilities in the South China Sea has stoked international condemnation, amid concern Beijing is seeking to restrict free movement and extend its strategic reach.

Britain's move could also upset ties between London and Beijing, undermining efforts to shore up what the two governments have called a "golden era" in their relationship as Britain heads towards a divorce with the European Union.

"We flew RAF Typhoons through the South China Sea last October and we will exercise that right whenever we next have the opportunity to do so, whenever we have ships or planes in the region," Fallon said.

The United States estimates Beijing has added more than 3,200 acres (1,300 hectares) on seven features in the South China Sea over the past three years, building runways, ports, aircraft hangars and communications equipment.

To counter the perceived Chinese aggression, the United States has conducted regular freedom of navigation exercises that have angered Beijing.

Earlier this month, the United States sent two bombers over the region, coming just a few months after it sent a warship to carry out a maneuvering drill within 12 nautical miles of one of China's artificial islands.

China has repeatedly denounced efforts by countries from outside the region to get involved in the South China Sea dispute.

The South China Sea is expected to dominate a regional security meeting in Manila next week, where Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will meet counterparts from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries.

Meeting ASEAN diplomats in Beijing on Wednesday, Wang told them both sides must "exclude disturbances on the South China Sea issue, and maintain positive momentum", China's Foreign Ministry said.

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-southchinasea-britain-idUSKBN1AC1CB

After US,Japan and especially India; Britain too joins the party to take a dig at China.....:pound::pound::pound::):):)
 
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lcafanboy

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China now threatens Britain with WAR over a decision to send Aircraft Carriers to SCS
Saturday, July 29, 2017 By: India Today Source Link: CLICK HERE


It seems that after India, Britain has now come in the firing line of the hawkish Chinese state media. The reason is another territorial dispute - the South China Sea - where China is flexing its muscles, like it's trying to do with India in the Doklam dispute.

Britain has announced it will send its two aircraft carriers, HMS Queen Elizabeth - the largest in the British fleet - and HMS Prince of Wales to the South China Sea. It does so in solidarity with the international community's pledge to ensure freedom in navigation operations in international waters, and to counter China's attempts to dominate the area by building artificial islands and militarising it with warships and fighter jets.

An editorial in the official Chinese publication Global Times, which regularly threatens India of war over the India-China Doklam plateau border standoff, has warned Britain that sending warships to the South China Sea would be a provocation that would force China to take retaliatory measures.

Questioning the British motive behind the move, the editorial says "it is no longer 1840 and there are no longer any British colonies in East Asia" and that Britain has wrongly taken this decision under Australian and American influence. It describes the "US as a police officer, Australia as its assistant and the UK as its accomplice."


'BREXIT WEAKENING BRITAIN'S INFLUENCE'

The editorial says in a patronizing tone that Britain needs to maintain its self-esteem and should not allow itself to "be stupidly dragged back to Asia," which will only disgrace and humiliate it.

Brexit has been ill-quoted as an example of Britain's waning influence by the editorial here to justify its arguments.

"Brexit is weakening Britain's influence, and it appears that the country needs to do something to assert its sense of identity."
The editorial continues to berate Britain as a much weaker country that cannot afford a "new Opium War with China off the China coast," while aggrandising China's military prowess that it says has changed the balance of power around the globe.


'AUSTRALIA CAN ONLY BARK'

Blaming Australia for lobbying hard to instigate Britain, the editorial says Australia "can only bark" and if Britain follows suit, its stature will reduced to "being an accomplice or a dupe." Canberra has traditionally maintained that China mustn't build artificial islands in the South China Sea or militarise it.

Britain's Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson revealed his country's plans to send warships to the South China Sea during his meeting with his Australian counterpart Julie Bishop on Thursday. Bishop was recently in India, where she reiterated the traditional Australian stand on the South China Sea dispute.

Australia has indicated that it may join British efforts directed towards ensuring freedom of navigation patrol in the international waters of the South China Sea - a vital trade route for many countries, and the global economy.

In May, during his Australia visit, US Senator John McCain urged Australia and other nations to conduct naval exercises in the South China Sea, to challenge China - which was acting like a bully.


SEVEN-WAY DISPUTE

The territorial dispute in the South China Sea involves seven countries - China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei. A busy trade route passes through it and all other countries except China are in favour of keeping its status as free, international waters.

China wants to control it as it imports most of its oil through this trade route and has built artificial islands in the sea. Doing so would enable China to establish hegemony in East and Southeast Asia. As well, it would keep foreign military forces like the US away from the region.

The US Navy has a sizeable presence in the South China Sea and it routinely carries out patrols in the area to deter the Chinese efforts, maintaining that the South China Sea waters must remain free for international navigation. China doesn't recognize these claims - including the United Nations Convention on Laws of the Sea (UNCLOS) which has invalidated the Chinese claims on the South China Sea - and says China has controlled these areas since ancient times and if there's any dispute, it should be resolved by the concerned nations through bilateral discussions.
http://www.defencenews.in/article/C...ision-to-send-Aircraft-Carriers-to-SCS-263463
 

lcafanboy

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So after India Chinese Media aims its Guns on Britain..........:biggrin2::biggrin2::biggrin2:
 

Yggdrasil

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So after India Chinese Media aims its Guns on Britain..........:biggrin2::biggrin2::biggrin2:
Good! Anything that shows China to be aggressive and warmongering will reduce its credibility in the international arena. Dunno why they're so cagey, they must be really insecure?
 

angeldude13

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They have made a mockery out of themselves. It's not even funny anymore.
 

Bornubus

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Long live the Queer

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Mikesingh

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Questioning the British motive behind the move, the editorial says "it is no longer 1840 and there are no longer any British colonies in East Asia". It describes the "US as a police officer, Australia as its assistant and the UK as its accomplice.
And China as a hooligan and con artist!
 

zala09

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this is big step but Appriciable ..tooo....

After chinadoing cheat Great Britain on Hong kong... Britain looking do equal bussiness with china
 

AmoghaVarsha

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Expect entire NATO to be in SCS soon.The lizard has ticked off almost every major military power in the world.They will receive a reality check soon.
 

nongaddarliberal

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I highly doubt the Brits will actually be ready to fight in SCS when push comes to shove. They have kowtowed to the chinese after Brexit, in search of new investment and markets, and frankly, their military capability is laughable compared to China or even us. They only have 7 attack subs, 6 malfunctioning destroyers, and about 12 outdated frigates. I don't know what type of a fight they can actually put up. At most it will be a side show supporting the USN.
 

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