South China Sea

(asked on 7th September 2023) - View Source

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to his visit to China in August 2023, whether he discussed freedom of navigation in the South China Sea with Chinese officials.


Answered by
Anne-Marie Trevelyan Portrait
Anne-Marie Trevelyan
Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
This question was answered on 13th September 2023

In the South China Sea, we are committed to international law, the primacy of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and to freedom of navigation and overflight. We oppose any action that raises tensions or the risk of miscalculation. We take no sides in the sovereignty disputes. We encourage all parties to settle their disputes peacefully through the existing legal mechanisms, in particular the UNCLOS. In his recent visit to Beijing, the Foreign Secretary underlined to China that its global significance comes with a responsibility on international security. That includes diffusing tensions in the South China Sea.

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