Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the level of military presence on the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea; and what recent representations he has made to his Chinese counterpart of the security situation on those islands.
The UK is concerned about any actions in the South China Sea which might raise tensions or pose a risk to freedom of navigation and regional stability. As the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Boris Johnson), made clear in a speech on 18 January, we oppose the militarisation of the South China Sea.
The Foreign Secretary raised the South China Sea with Chinese State Councillor Yang Jiechi during the UK-China Strategic Dialogue in London on 20 December. He noted the importance of abiding by international law in the South China Sea and refraining from activities which could raise tensions.