Posted on 02/11/2019 10:34:32 AM PST by blam
Perhaps out of humiliation over the ongoing spectacular tragicomedy that is Brexit, and in desperate need of a distraction from her domestic political troubles, Theresa May has taken a page out of the the US neocon playbook, and has decided to send Britain’s new aircraft carrier to China’s backyard in what The Times has dubbed “a show of strength” – just in case Beijing is unclear how to respond to this hilarious development – because apparently the UK believes it is a US stunt-double when it comes to sending Beijing messages about its territorial ambitions in the South China Sea.
HMS Queen Elizabeth, the UK’s largest warship.
May’s defense secretary, Gavin Williamson, will say today that “Britain must be ready to use hard power” to protect its interests, The Times reported, although it wasn’t clear just what interests the UK has just off the Chinese coastline. Williamson will warn that Russia and China are blurring the boundaries between peace and war and declare that Britain must stand up to those who “flout international law”, a principle that “may lead to us intervene ourselves.”
“To talk but fail to act risks our nation being seen as little more than a paper tiger,” he will say, seemingly unaware of how the world currently views Brexit ground zero.
Williamson will also announce details of a global tour that the new aircraft carrier, one of two costing a combined £6.2 billion, will undertake according to the British newspaper, carrying two squadrons of British and American F-35 multirole stealth fighter jets.
(snip)
(Excerpt) Read more at newmediacentral.net ...
Doesn’t she need to get permission from the European Union?
Is she carrying an air group?
Looking at the map, with that LONG red tongue of China’s claim, well, it is ridiculous.
To me, the strongest claim would be the Philippines, followed by Vietnam. Closeness should prevail UNLESS they have historical populations on those island, which nobody has.
China’s claim? The USA might as well claim that area, too.
It must as you can’t send a carrier out naked.
Give money and arms to the Vietnamese and Philippines. They’ve been fighting Chinese for 30 years over these mud shoals (now big bases).
They don’t have planes except a squadron of USMC that we insanely put under the command of a British Captain.
The Chinese fleet dwarfs the RN.
Hell, the Japanese fleet totally dwarfs it in combat power.
F-35s
Thanks for the informative post. I am not actually surprised that politicians would send out a political statement that is actually toothless.
Did Trump lend them the Marines, or is it a longer standing deal?
Well, this should go over about as well as Prince of Wales and Repulse.
Assuming this isn’t satire, that is.
News or Editorial? “Staff Writer” seems not to know the difference.
Well, this should go over about as well as Prince of Wales and Repulse.
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Yep, that didn’t end well.
May has to be one of the worst PM the Brits have ever had.
Brits send a clonking aircraft carrier to China in show of force?
ROR!!
Show of force? The Chinese could easily sink that floating coffin if they felt threatened. When will the West come to the realization that Asians really do not want white people dictating their affairs. Its up to the Chinese and the non Chinese Asians to work out their own political and social consensus. Mothers in Kansas or England do want their children to die trying to establish borders and mineral rights in Asia.
Do they have planes for that carrier yet?
I thought I read somewhere that the RN had funds for the carriers (2 I think!) or funds for planes but not both.
US Marines flying F-35B’s I think. Plus she’ll probably operate in concert with a US Carrier Battle Group that will provide escorts and possibly a sub or 2.
Better question: when will a trading country like China realize that their long-term interests a furthered by freedom of navigation. They’re acting like traditional land-power.
The fact that the Brit are doing this makes the Chinese less able to portray this as a purely China/US bilateral spat.
I thought the same thing. How unprofessional.
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