China furious at Britain for South China Sea sail-by
China lashed out at Britain on 6 September for sending a warship close to disputed islands in the South China Sea, where Beijing has built military installations despite competing claims from other nations.
The US and its allies have in recent times sent planes and warships to the area for ‘freedom of navigation’ operations intended as a signal to Beijing of their right – claimed under international law – to pass through the contested waters.
China's foreign ministry said the HMS Albion naval ship entered the area on 31 August, sailing close to the Paracel Island chain, known as Xisha in Chinese.
The vessel ‘entered the territorial waters of China's Xisha Islands without the permission of the Chinese government,’ a foreign ministry spokesperson said in a statement to AFP.
The statement added: ‘The Chinese Navy verified and identified the warship according to law and warned it to leave.’
The foreign ministry has lodged a protest ‘expressing strong dissatisfaction,’ the statement continued.
The statement further said: ‘China strongly urges Britain to stop such provocations immediately so as not to damage the overall situation of bilateral relations and regional peace and stability.’
Beijing has deployed a range of military hardware including anti-ship missiles, surface-to-air missiles and electronic jammers across the South China Sea, where it has built islets and other maritime features into hardened military facilities, according to US officials.
In May, China landed heavy bombers on Woody Island in the Paracels, a show of military might intended to boost its territorial claims in the area.
Woody Island is home to China's largest base in the island chain, which is also claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan.
Beijing claims most of the resource-rich sea, through which $5 trillion in shipping trade passes annually, with competing claims from Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam.
More from Defence Notes
-
Patria to deliver Hawk trainer jet full mission simulator to Finnish Defence Forces
Patria has signed a procurement contract with the Finnish Defence Forces to provide a Hawk Full Mission Simulator (FMS) for pilot training, boosting the realistic and extensive training capabilities of the Finnish Air Force.
-
US Army seeks 'fundamental transformation' to face future threats
‘The army is really undergoing its most fundamental transformation in 40 years. We are moving away from the system that we designed in the 80s’, Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth has claimed,
-
Pentagon to strengthen cyber networks of US partners and allies
The recently released 2023 Cyber Strategy states that the US will build the capacity and capability of allies and partners in cyberspace and expand avenues of potential cyber cooperation.