MANILA, Philippines — British Defense Secretary Gavin Williamson’s confirmation that a UK warship will sail in the South China Sea sends provocative signals to China, a Chinese state-run tabloid said.
Earlier this week, Williamson confirmed that British warship HMS Sutherland will sail through the South China Sea next month to assert freedom of navigation in the region.
In an interview with The Australian newspaper, Williamson said that the Sutherland will sail through the contested waters to make it clear that their navy “has the right to do that.”
“We absolutely support the US approach on this, we very much support what the US has been doing,” Williamson told The Australian.
Sutherland will sail within 12 nautical miles of China’s artificial islands in the region like the what US ships do, according to the British Defense Secretary.
“The US is looking for other countries to do more. This is a great opportunity for the UK and Australia to do more, to exercise leadership,” Williamson said.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry noted that all countries are entitled to freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang, however, appealed to “non-regional countries” to respect the efforts of regional countries in maintaining peace and stability in the region.