The British aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales has departed Portsmouth Naval Base in England for a deployment to the Indo-Pacific region. This move comes as the United Kingdom and Australia have issued a joint statement criticizing China’s actions.
The statement specifically cited China’s “destabilizing” military activities in the vicinity of Taiwan, the self-ruled island that Beijing claims as its own territory and has threatened to annex by force if necessary.Additionally, the statement addressed alleged human rights abuses in Tibet and Xinjiang, as well as the suppression of free speech and democratic freedoms in Hong Kong.
In response,a Chinese spokesperson objected to the joint statement’s characterization of China’s behavior in the South china Sea,urging the UK and Australia to “stop hyping up the issue and stirring up trouble.” China asserts territorial claims over most of this busy maritime route, which overlap with those of several neighboring countries and have resulted in a significant territorial dispute with the Philippines, a treaty ally of the United States.
Moreover, the spokesperson rejected the joint statement’s call for China to prevent its companies from supplying dual-use civilian-military goods to Russia for use in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. The official stated that “China has been working actively to promote a ceasefire and peace talks,and has kept dual-use items under strict control.”
While China has maintained a stance of neutrality in the Ukraine conflict, it has not condemned Russia’s actions as an invasion. China’s increased trade with Moscow has been instrumental in supporting Russia’s wartime economy, leading NATO to label China a “decisive enabler.”
British Defense Secretary John Haley commented to the Telegraph regarding the possibility of a conflict over Taiwan, stating, “If we have to fight, as we have done in the past, Australia and the U.K. are nations that will fight together. We exercise together, and by exercising together and being more ready to fight, we deter better together.” Haley clarified that these remarks were made in “general terms” and that London’s preference is for disputes to be resolved “peacefully.”
The joint military exercise,Talisman Sabre,which involves 30,000 military personnel from 19 countries,including the United States,is scheduled to conclude on August 4. This year’s exercise is the 11th and largest iteration to date.
