lørdag 2. januar 2021

China blasts Nato with British aircraft carrier ‘heading to South China Sea’

China said it would take necessary measures to safeguard its sovereignty as it warned against the British navy dispatching warships to the disputed South China Sea. The remarks were made in response to expectations that Britain’s newest aircraft carrier, HMS Queen Elizabeth, will be deployed to the Pacific region, including the contentious sea, for its first operational mission.

“The Chinese side believes that the South China Sea should not become a sea of great power rivalry dominated by weapons and warships,” defence ministry spokesman Tan Kefei said when asked about Britain’s plans during a monthly press conference in Beijing on Thursday. Former British defence minister Gavin Williamson had said in February 2019 that HMS Queen Elizabeth’s first operational mission would include the South China Sea, “making a global Great Britain a reality”.