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SHANGHAI (Reuters) – A British warship that sailed near the islands of the South China Sea, claimed by China, could hinder negotiations on a free trade agreement after the departure of Britain of the European Union.
FILE PHOTO: Military vehicles were sighted on the loading dock of HMS Albion, the amphibious assault ship of the British Royal Navy, after the arrival of the ship at Harumi pier in Tokyo, Japan, the August 3, 2018. REUTERS / Toru Hanai
China and Britain agreed last month to examine the possibility of reaching a "leading" post-Brexit free trade agreement that, if achieved, would be an important political victory for the government. British conservative.
"China and the United Kingdom have agreed to actively explore the possibility of discussing a free trade agreement after Brexit. Any action that undermines China's main interests will only make things clear, "the China Daily reported in an editorial in English.
Britain has long courted China for a post-Brexit trade deal and evoked a "golden age" in relations, even though negotiations could only begin when Britain officially leaves the country. European Union.
The HMS Albion, an amphibious warship of 22,000 tons, sailed near the Paracel Islands claimed by China last month, Reuters reported on Thursday, causing an angry reaction from China.
The Paracels are fully occupied by China but also claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan.
China's claims in the South China Sea, through which some $ 3 trillion in commercial transactions per boat are spent each year, are challenged by Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam. Britain has no territorial claim in the region.
The China Daily said that Britain was trying to "win the favor" with the United States, which pleaded for greater international participation in the freedom of navigation operations in strategic waterways.
"Now that it is looking at the United States as an economic lifeline after its exit from the European Union, the United Kingdom is undoubtedly eager to seize every opportunity to get into the good books of Washington," he said. indicated the newspaper.
Reportage by Adam Jourdan; Editing by Paul Tait
