British Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Boris Johnson yesterday committed the UK’s two brand new aircraft carriers to freedom of navigation exercises in the fiercely contested waters of the South China Sea.
In pointed remarks aimed squarely at China — whose island-building and militarization in the sea has unnerved Western powers — Johnson said that when the ships are in service they would be sent to the Asia-Pacific region as one of their first assignments.
“One of the first things we will do with the two new colossal aircraft carriers that we have just built is send them on a freedom of navigation operation to this area to vindicate our belief in the rules-based international system and in the freedom of navigation through those waterways, which are absolutely vital for world trade,” Johnson said in Sydney.
Photo: EPA
The South China Sea is one of the busiest commercial sea routes in the world, through which US$5 trillion in trade transits per year.
However, China claims it enjoys exclusive control over a massive portion of the sea — within the so-called “nine-dash line” — based on ancient rights marked in 600-year-old mariners’ books.
In a dispute with four neighboring nations, including Taiwan, China has claimed sovereignty over islands in international waters in the sea and has built up sandbars and atolls into usable land.
The Hague, Netherlands-based Permanent Court of Arbitration last year ruled that there was no legal basis for China’s historic claim, a decision China has furiously rejected.
Sending Britain’s newest and most expensive ships to the region to carry out maneuvers similar to those of the US Navy could be seen as provocative by Beijing.
At 280m and 65,000 tonnes, Britain’s newest aircraft carrier, the HMS Queen Elizabeth, is the largest ship ever built for the Royal Navy.
It is undergoing its maiden sea trials off the coast of Scotland, and is expected to be accepted by the British navy toward the end of this year.
The second ship of the class, the HMS Prince of Wales, is being fitted out in a Scottish dock and is to be officially named in September.
Speaking in Sydney following discussions with Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Julie Bishop, Johnson said the UK and Australia had reaffirmed “our shared dedication to the rules-based international system that has been the guarantor of stability and, of course, also of prosperity for the last 70 years.”
“In a volatile and unpredictable world, it is more important than ever to nurture the friendships that we know best and that matter to us the most and with people we trust the most,” he added.
Bishop said the ministers had discussed the South China Sea as one of the pressing “challenges” of the Asia-Pacific region.
“We had a long discussion about the Pacific and the opportunities for deeper British engagement in our part of the world. We also see the United Kingdom as being a natural partner with us in the development and security of the Pacific,” Bishop said.
A new online voting system aimed at boosting turnout among the Philippines’ millions of overseas workers ahead of Monday’s mid-term elections has been marked by confusion and fears of disenfranchisement. Thousands of overseas Filipino workers have already cast their ballots in the race dominated by a bitter feud between President Ferdinand Marcos Jr and his impeached vice president, Sara Duterte. While official turnout figures are not yet publicly available, data from the Philippine Commission on Elections (COMELEC) showed that at least 134,000 of the 1.22 million registered overseas voters have signed up for the new online system, which opened on April 13. However,
ALLIES: Calling Putin his ‘old friend,’ Xi said Beijing stood alongside Russia ‘in the face of the international counter-current of unilateralism and hegemonic bullying’ Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) yesterday was in Moscow for a state visit ahead of the Kremlin’s grand Victory Day celebrations, as Ukraine accused Russia’s army of launching air strikes just hours into a supposed truce. More than 20 foreign leaders were in Russia to attend a vast military parade today marking 80 years since the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II, taking place three years into Russia’s offensive in Ukraine. Putin ordered troops into Ukraine in February 2022 and has marshaled the memory of Soviet victory against Nazi Germany to justify his campaign and rally society behind the offensive,
ENTERTAINMENT: Rio officials have a history of organizing massive concerts on Copacabana Beach, with Madonna’s show drawing about 1.6 million fans last year Lady Gaga on Saturday night gave a free concert in front of 2 million fans who poured onto Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro for the biggest show of her career. “Tonight, we’re making history... Thank you for making history with me,” Lady Gaga told a screaming crowd. The Mother Monster, as she is known, started the show at about 10:10pm local time with her 2011 song Bloody Mary. Cries of joy rose from the tightly packed fans who sang and danced shoulder-to-shoulder on the vast stretch of sand. Concert organizers said 2.1 million people attended the show. Lady Gaga
CONFLICTING REPORTS: Beijing said it was ‘not familiar with the matter’ when asked if Chinese jets were used in the conflict, after Pakistan’s foreign minister said they were The Pakistan Army yesterday said it shot down 25 Indian drones, a day after the worst violence between the nuclear-armed rivals in two decades. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif vowed to retaliate after India launched deadly missile strikes on Wednesday morning, escalating days of gunfire along their border. At least 45 deaths were reported from both sides following Wednesday’s violence, including children. Pakistan’s military said in a statement yesterday that it had “so far shot down 25 Israeli-made Harop drones” at multiple location across the country. “Last night, India showed another act of aggression by sending drones to multiple locations,” Pakistan military spokesman Ahmed
RSS