China’s military and state media have warned the UK against provocation as it sent a carrier strike group, led by a Royal Navy aircraft carrier, through the contested South China Sea. It will sail to Japan – reportedly with stops in India, Singapore and South Korea – to take part in exercises alongside allies. The mission has also prompted multiple reports and commentary in China’s hawkish state media tabloid, the Global Times, which said “the very idea of a British presence in the South China Sea is dangerous”. We will be confident, but not confrontational,” UK defence secretary Ben Wallace told parliament in April. “But this [strike group] is a model of collective security and of interoperability to deal with any kind of threat.

Source: The Guardian July 30, 2021 04:52 UTC