Space Travel News  
FLOATING STEEL
China warns UK over basing aircraft carrier in Pacific
by Staff Writers
London (AFP) July 18, 2020

Beijing's ambassador to London has warned Britain against stationing a new aircraft carrier in the Pacific, arguing it would be a "very dangerous move" in a newspaper interview published Saturday.

Liu Xiaoming, China's top envoy in the UK, told The Times that as London cuts trading ties with the European Union later this year, it should not "gang up with the United States on the Chinese" with military deployments.

"After Brexit I think the UK still wants to play an important role in the world," he told the paper.

"That is not the way to play an important role."

The Times reported this week UK military planners have hatched plans to station the HMS Queen Elizabeth carrier in the Pacific as part of an international alliance to counter China.

The �3.1 billion ($3.9 billion, 3.4 billion euros) vessel is due to set sail on her maiden deployment next year, on a tour that includes the region amid concerns over freedom of navigation in the South China Sea.

But the possibility of basing the carrier there more permanently comes as tensions between London and Beijing are rising over a host of issues, and as US-China relations also deteriorate markedly.

Britain on Tuesday bowed to sustained pressure from Washington and ordered the phased removal of Chinese telecoms giant Huawei from its 5G network despite warnings of retaliation from Beijing.

Liu Xiaoming called the move a "disappointing and wrong decision" and has predicted it will sap billions of pounds of investment in the UK from China's firms.

"Now all things [have] changed," he told The Times, adding Huawei was now "an example" to other Chinese companies.

- 'Strategic move' -

Britain and China have also clashed over Hong Kong, after Beijing imposed a controversial national security law in the former UK colonial territory.

London has said in response it will offer Hong Kong residents a broader path to British citizenship, which could pave the way for more than three million Hong Kongers to move to the UK.

Nathan Law, one of its most prominent young democracy activists, announced Monday he has already relocated to Britain due to the draconian new security law.

It punishes subversion, sedition, terrorism and foreign collusion with up to life in prison.

Law told The Times his decision was a "strategic move for the movement" rather than a personal choice.

"In Hong Kong, people no longer have freedom of expression and are facing intimidation, arbitrary detention and arbitrary use of force by the police," he added.

"My existence is a warning signal... to remind people that the Hong Kong you used to know is gone."

However, Liu warned it would be "very dangerous" for Britain to allow Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement to decamp to the country.

"That will be a serious problem," adding "we'll wait and see" what the consequences would be.


Related Links
Naval Warfare in the 21st Century


Thanks for being here;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5 Billed Monthly


paypal only


FLOATING STEEL
USS Bonhomme Richard remains on fire, two more sailors hurt while battling blaze
Washington DC (UPI) Jul 14, 2020
Fire crews could extinguish the blaze on the USS Bonhomme Richard within 24 hours, Rear Admiral Philip Sobeck said Tuesday. "Significant progress has been made," Sobeck told reporters at a briefing. Previously, San Diego's fire chief had said the blaze, which broke out Sunday morning, could continue to burn for several days. Helicopters have dumped 1,200 buckets of water on the amphibious assault vessel, which let crews move further on board to fight the blaze, and tugboats assist ... read more

Comment using your Disqus, Facebook, Google or Twitter login.



Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle

FLOATING STEEL
FLOATING STEEL
UAE plans to launch Mars probe Friday after weather delay

A trio of Mars missions in the starting blocks

NASA's Perseverance Rover Attached to Atlas V Rocket

NASA updates planetary protection policies for lunar and mars human missions

FLOATING STEEL
Scientists identify 'gel-like' substance Chinese rover found on the moon

Metals in lunar craters provide new insights to its origin

Radar points to Moon being more metallic than researchers thought

China's lunar rover travels about 463 meters on moon's far side

FLOATING STEEL
The collective power of the solar system's dark, icy bodies

Ocean in Jupiter's moon Europa "could be habitable"

Evidence supports 'hot start' scenario and early ocean formation on Pluto

Proposed NASA Mission Would Visit Neptune's Curious Moon Triton

FLOATING STEEL
The cosmic commute towards star and planet formation

Dying stars breathe life into Earth

The cosmic commute toward star and planet formation

Unprecedented ground-based discovery of 2 strongly interacting exoplanets

FLOATING STEEL
Soyuz Launches From Kourou to Resume in October, German Aerospace Centre Says

New electric propulsion chamber explores the future of space travel

NASA astronauts and Russian cosmonauts perform habitability test of Crew Dragon capsule

Rocket Lab promises customers to 'Leave No Stone Unturned' launch failure

FLOATING STEEL
China's newest carrier rocket fails in debut mission

China's tracking ship wraps up satellite launch monitoring

Final Beidou launch marks major milestone in China's space effort

Satellite launch center Wenchang eyes boosting homestay, catering sectors

FLOATING STEEL
Comet NEOWISE sizzles as it slides by the Sun

Gaia revolutionises asteroid tracking

Suitcase-sized asteroid explorer

One galaxy, two asteroids









The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.