British warship to sail through disputed South China Sea

Agence France-Presse

<div class='embed-wrap'><figure data-feedback='fb:likes,fb:comments'><img src='https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/news-special1/nation/12/26/southchinasea-122616.jpg' ><figcaption>An aerial view shows Itu Aba, which the Taiwanese call Taiping, in the South China Sea, November 29, 2016. Fabian Hamacher, Reuters</figcaption></figure></div>SYDNEY, Australia - A British warship will sail from Australia through the disputed South China Sea next month to assert freedom of navigation rights, a senior official said Tuesday in a move likely to irk Beijing.China claims nearly all of the resource-rich waterway and has been turning reefs and islets into islands and installing military facilities such as runways and equipment on them.<ul class='op-related-articles'>	<li><a href='http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/02/08/18/ph-will-thank-china-for-artificial-islands-someday-roque'>PH will thank China for artificial islands someday - Roque</a></li></ul><ul class='op-related-articles'>	<li><a href='http://news.abs-cbn.com/video/news/02/06/18/china-construction-continues-in-disputed-sea-think-tank'>China construction continues in disputed sea: think tank</a></li></ul>British Defense Secretary Gavin Williamson said HMS Sutherland, an anti-submarine frigate, would arrive in Australia later this week."She'll be sailing through the South China Sea (on the way home) and making it clear our navy has a right to do that," he told The Australian newspaper after a two-day visit to Sydney and Canberra.He would not say whether the frigate would sail within 12 nautical miles of a disputed territory or artificial island built by the Chinese, as US ships have done.But he said: "We absolutely support the US approach on this, we very much support what the US has been doing."In January, Beijing said it had dispatched a warship to drive away a US missile destroyer which had "violated" its sovereignty by sailing close to a shoal in the sea.<ul class='op-related-articles'>	<li><a href='http://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/01/21/18/china-says-us-warship-violated-its-south-china-sea-sovereignty'>China says U.S. warship violated its South China Sea sovereignty</a></li></ul>Williamson said it was important that US allies such as Britain and Australia "assert our values" in the South China Sea, which is believed to hold vast oil and gas deposits and through which US$5.0 trillion in trade passes annually."World dynamics are shifting so greatly. The US can only concentrate on so many things at once," he said."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."China in December defended its construction on disputed islands, which are also claimed by Southeast Asian neighbors, as "normal" after a US think tank released new satellite images showing the deployment of radar and other equipment.<ul class='op-related-articles'>	<li><a href='http://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/12/25/17/china-confirms-reasonable-expansion-of-s-china-sea-islands'>China confirms 'reasonable' expansion of S. China Sea islands</a></li></ul><div class='embed-wrap'><figure data-feedback='fb:likes,fb:comments'><img src='https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2017/news/12/25/122517_fiery.jpg' ><figcaption>Fiery Cross saw the most construction over the course of 2017, with work on buildings covering 27 acres, or about 110,000 square meters. Image by CSIS Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative/DigitalGlobe</figcaption></figure></div>Fiery Cross saw the most construction over the course of 2017, with work on buildings covering 27 acres, or about 110,000 square meters. Image by CSIS Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative/DigitalGlobeIn a separate interview with broadcaster ABC, Williamson warned of the need for vigilance to "any form of malign intent" from China, as it seeks to become a global superpower."Australia and Britain see China as a country of great opportunities, but we shouldn't be blind to the ambition that China has and we've got to defend our national security interests," he said."We've got to ensure that any form of malign intent is countered and we see increasing challenges -- it's not just from China, it's from Russia, it's from Iran -- and we've got to be constantly making sure that our security measures, our critical national infrastructure is protected."Australia has been ratcheting up the rhetoric against China in recent months, with ties tested in December when parliament singled out Beijing as a focus of concern when it proposed laws on foreign interference.mp/grk/mtp© Agence France-Presse

<ul class='op-related-articles'>	<li><a href='http://news.abs-cbn.com/video/news/02/06/18/china-construction-continues-in-disputed-sea-think-tank'>China construction continues in disputed sea: think tank</a></li></ul>British Defense Secretary Gavin Williamson said HMS Sutherland, an anti-submarine frigate, would arrive in Australia later this week."She'll be sailing through the South China Sea (on the way home) and making it clear our navy has a right to do that," he told The Australian newspaper after a two-day visit to Sydney and Canberra.He would not say whether the frigate would sail within 12 nautical miles of a disputed territory or artificial island built by the Chinese, as US ships have done.But he said: "We absolutely support the US approach on this, we very much support what the US has been doing."In January, Beijing said it had dispatched a warship to drive away a US missile destroyer which had "violated" its sovereignty by sailing close to a shoal in the sea.<ul class='op-related-articles'>	<li><a href='http://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/01/21/18/china-says-us-warship-violated-its-south-china-sea-sovereignty'>China says U.S. warship violated its South China Sea sovereignty</a></li></ul>Williamson said it was important that US allies such as Britain and Australia "assert our values" in the South China Sea, which is believed to hold vast oil and gas deposits and through which US$5.0 trillion in trade passes annually."World dynamics are shifting so greatly. The US can only concentrate on so many things at once," he said."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."China in December defended its construction on disputed islands, which are also claimed by Southeast Asian neighbors, as "normal" after a US think tank released new satellite images showing the deployment of radar and other equipment.<ul class='op-related-articles'>	<li><a href='http://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/12/25/17/china-confirms-reasonable-expansion-of-s-china-sea-islands'>China confirms 'reasonable' expansion of S. China Sea islands</a></li></ul><div class='embed-wrap'><figure data-feedback='fb:likes,fb:comments'><img src='https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2017/news/12/25/122517_fiery.jpg' ><figcaption>Fiery Cross saw the most construction over the course of 2017, with work on buildings covering 27 acres, or about 110,000 square meters. Image by CSIS Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative/DigitalGlobe</figcaption></figure></div>Fiery Cross saw the most construction over the course of 2017, with work on buildings covering 27 acres, or about 110,000 square meters. Image by CSIS Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative/DigitalGlobeIn a separate interview with broadcaster ABC, Williamson warned of the need for vigilance to "any form of malign intent" from China, as it seeks to become a global superpower."Australia and Britain see China as a country of great opportunities, but we shouldn't be blind to the ambition that China has and we've got to defend our national security interests," he said."We've got to ensure that any form of malign intent is countered and we see increasing challenges -- it's not just from China, it's from Russia, it's from Iran -- and we've got to be constantly making sure that our security measures, our critical national infrastructure is protected."Australia has been ratcheting up the rhetoric against China in recent months, with ties tested in December when parliament singled out Beijing as a focus of concern when it proposed laws on foreign interference.mp/grk/mtp© Agence France-Presse

China claims nearly all of the resource-rich waterway and has been turning reefs and islets into islands and installing military facilities such as runways and equipment on them.<ul class='op-related-articles'>	<li><a href='http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/02/08/18/ph-will-thank-china-for-artificial-islands-someday-roque'>PH will thank China for artificial islands someday - Roque</a></li></ul>

<div class='embed-wrap'><figure data-feedback='fb:likes,fb:comments'><img src='https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/news-special1/nation/12/26/southchinasea-122616.jpg' ><figcaption>An aerial view shows Itu Aba, which the Taiwanese call Taiping, in the South China Sea, November 29, 2016. Fabian Hamacher, Reuters</figcaption></figure></div>SYDNEY, Australia - A British warship will sail from Australia through the disputed South China Sea next month to assert freedom of navigation rights, a senior official said Tuesday in a move likely to irk Beijing.

SYDNEY, Australia - A British warship will sail from Australia through the disputed South China Sea next month to assert freedom of navigation rights, a senior official said Tuesday in a move likely to irk Beijing.

SYDNEY, Australia - A British warship will sail from Australia through the disputed South China Sea next month to assert freedom of navigation rights, a senior official said Tuesday in a move likely to irk Beijing.

British warship to sail through disputed South China Sea | ABS-CBN News

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British warship to sail through disputed South China Sea

British warship to sail through disputed South China Sea