UK risks Beijing anger with South China Sea navy mission
British anti-submarine frigate to sail through contested Asian waters
The HMS Sutherland is set to conduct a freedom of navigation operation in the contested waters of the South China Sea
Jamie Smyth in Sydney and Tom Hancock in Shanghai 5 HOURS AGO
Britain has outlined plans to sail a warship through contested Asian waters next month in a mission aimed at asserting maritime freedom of navigation rights at a time of tension between China and the US. The naval operation in the South China Sea will be conducted by HMS Sutherland, an anti-submarine frigate that is en route to Australia, Gavin Williamson, UK defence secretary, said on Tuesday during a visit to Sydney. “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,” said Mr Williamson. Asked about Mr Williamson’s statement, China’s foreign ministry said that there was “no problem of freedom of navigation or overflight in the South China Sea. The situation there is also improving. We hope that non-regional countries can respect the efforts made by regional ones.” In an interview published in The Australian newspaper, Mr Williamson said it was important for Britain, the US, Australia and other countries to “assert our values” in the South China Sea — a vital trade route and lucrative fishing area that Beijing claims much of as its own territorial waters. He did not clarify whether HMS Sutherland would sail within 12 nautical miles of disputed territory or artificial islands built by China — an activity practised by US warships that has angered Beijing. But Mr Williamson said Britain “absolutely supported” the US approach on freedom of navigation and its actions in the South China Sea. “World dynamics are shifting so greatly. The US can only concentrate on so many things at once,’’ said Mr Williamson. “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.” The UK operation in the South China Sea follows a US freedom of navigation mission last month within 12 nautical miles of Scarborough Shoal, a rocky outcrop that has been the subject of a dispute between China and the Philippines. Beijing reacted angrily to the US mission, warning the US military not to threaten peace and stability by conducting such operations. Euan Graham, analyst at Sydney’s Lowy Institute think-tank, said the planned UK operation in the South China Sea followed through with a UK commitment made last year to assert freedom of navigation rights in the region. “This is not a show of force by the UK and I doubt they will sail within 12 nautical miles of Chinese defence installations on disputed islands in the region,” he said. “Rather it is an opportunity to show the flag, a marker of British sovereignty, which says it isn’t just the US undertaking these operations and upholding the rule of law.” Mr Williamson told Australia’s state broadcaster that there was a need for vigilance over “any form of malign intent” from China, as the country seeks to become a 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. Shen Dingli, professor of international relations at Fudan University in Shanghai, noted that while the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea allowed for naval ships of one country to pass peacefully through territorial waters of another country, “what Britain thinks of as peaceful, maybe China will not think of as peaceful”. Shi Yinhong, an international relations professor at Renmin University in Beijing, said the US, Britain and Australia shared a common position on the South China Sea, which contrasted with China’s. “We can’t take this statement as a formal commitment but if it really happened then it would have a very bad influence on China-Britain relations,” he said. “China might take some retaliatory steps with regards to trade.” Mr Shi said that so far only the US has performed freedom of navigation operations in the South China Sea, although there has been debate about whether the Australian navy would also get involved. Additional reporting by Emily Feng in Beijing
这件事的重要性不在于区区一艘英国护卫舰的行动，而在于英国防长借此机会表明的立场。
威廉姆森在接受澳媒采访时表示，对英美澳等国家来说，在南海“维护我们的价值观”非常重要。英国“绝对支持”美国在南海的自由航行行动。
他还说，世界变化大美国应付不过来，正在寻找其他国家做更多。“这对英国和澳大利亚来说是一个很好的机会，能够发挥更大的作用，发挥领导作用。“
他还直截了当地主张英澳两国对中国崛起中的”不良企图“保持警觉。两国”不应当对中国的野心视而不见“。
他这些话表明，英国正在积极地考虑和澳大利亚一道起来在南海事务中分担美国的角色。未来几个月里，不但英舰要到南海进行自由航行，澳大利亚也可能参加。
中国的霸权“崛起”并未获的各国尊敬。反而逐渐引起更多国家的警觉和抵制。
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UK risks Beijing anger with South China Sea navy missionBritish anti-submarine frigate to sail through contested Asian waters
The HMS Sutherland is set to conduct a freedom of navigation operation in the contested waters of the South China Sea
Jamie Smyth in Sydney and Tom Hancock in Shanghai 5 HOURS AGO
Britain has outlined plans to sail a warship through contested Asian waters next month in a mission aimed at asserting maritime freedom of navigation rights at a time of tension between China and the US. The naval operation in the South China Sea will be conducted by HMS Sutherland, an anti-submarine frigate that is en route to Australia, Gavin Williamson, UK defence secretary, said on Tuesday during a visit to Sydney. “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,” said Mr Williamson. Asked about Mr Williamson’s statement, China’s foreign ministry said that there was “no problem of freedom of navigation or overflight in the South China Sea. The situation there is also improving. We hope that non-regional countries can respect the efforts made by regional ones.” In an interview published in The Australian newspaper, Mr Williamson said it was important for Britain, the US, Australia and other countries to “assert our values” in the South China Sea — a vital trade route and lucrative fishing area that Beijing claims much of as its own territorial waters. He did not clarify whether HMS Sutherland would sail within 12 nautical miles of disputed territory or artificial islands built by China — an activity practised by US warships that has angered Beijing. But Mr Williamson said Britain “absolutely supported” the US approach on freedom of navigation and its actions in the South China Sea. “World dynamics are shifting so greatly. The US can only concentrate on so many things at once,’’ said Mr Williamson. “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.” The UK operation in the South China Sea follows a US freedom of navigation mission last month within 12 nautical miles of Scarborough Shoal, a rocky outcrop that has been the subject of a dispute between China and the Philippines. Beijing reacted angrily to the US mission, warning the US military not to threaten peace and stability by conducting such operations. Euan Graham, analyst at Sydney’s Lowy Institute think-tank, said the planned UK operation in the South China Sea followed through with a UK commitment made last year to assert freedom of navigation rights in the region. “This is not a show of force by the UK and I doubt they will sail within 12 nautical miles of Chinese defence installations on disputed islands in the region,” he said. “Rather it is an opportunity to show the flag, a marker of British sovereignty, which says it isn’t just the US undertaking these operations and upholding the rule of law.” Mr Williamson told Australia’s state broadcaster that there was a need for vigilance over “any form of malign intent” from China, as the country seeks to become a 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. Shen Dingli, professor of international relations at Fudan University in Shanghai, noted that while the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea allowed for naval ships of one country to pass peacefully through territorial waters of another country, “what Britain thinks of as peaceful, maybe China will not think of as peaceful”. Shi Yinhong, an international relations professor at Renmin University in Beijing, said the US, Britain and Australia shared a common position on the South China Sea, which contrasted with China’s. “We can’t take this statement as a formal commitment but if it really happened then it would have a very bad influence on China-Britain relations,” he said. “China might take some retaliatory steps with regards to trade.” Mr Shi said that so far only the US has performed freedom of navigation operations in the South China Sea, although there has been debate about whether the Australian navy would also get involved. Additional reporting by Emily Feng in Beijinghttps://www.ft.com/content/a3bbd526-1073-11e8-8cb6-b9ccc4c4dbbb
如果中国军舰要老跑到美国航母15海里以内呢？理论上航母是没有领海权的，但是如果这样去贴近对方，就是挑衅了
如果川普政府能组成一支多国联合舰队在南海进行定期的自由航行，那毫无疑问将是一项伟大成就。
10月3日，在英国曼彻斯特，英国国防大臣迈克尔·法伦在2017年英国保守党年度大会上发言。新华社记者韩岩摄
原标题：外媒称英国无意跟随美国在南海“巡航”：不想挑衅中国
参考消息网10月12日报道 澳媒称，英国国防大臣迈克尔·法伦表示，英国没有计划在南海进行“航行自由”演习。
据澳大利亚《时代报》10月11日报道，在曼彻斯特举行的保守党会议间隙，有媒体提问英国是否会进行“航行自由行动”。法伦说，英国“台风”战斗机去年曾飞越南海上空，而且可能还会这样做，但不会进行演习，因为这是对中国的直接挑衅。
法伦说：“我们将行使我们的航行权，美国人一直在争议岛屿上演习，我们没有，我们没有这样的计划。”
报道称，2015年至2016年间，奥巴马政府在南海进行了多次所谓的“航行自由行动”。而在特朗普上台后，美国已经三闯南海。而与英国一样，澳大利亚也没有开展所谓“航行自由行动”。
前保守党议员杰拉德说，英国不愿加入美国这个唯一在南海进行所谓“航行自由行动”的国家，这是因为英国希望鼓励中国的投资和贸易。（编译/王天僚）
说明中方清楚自己对南海的主权声索并非理直气壮。
以后随着参与南海自由航行的国家增多。中方就更难坚持自己的无理主张了。
但别指望靠着小儿科式耍赖让事实消失。
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