Poor decision by UK to send carrier strike group

The United Kingdom has deployed a carrier strike group to the Asia-Pacific region. Led by the Royal Navy's new aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth, it is largest fleet of Royal Navy warships to deploy internationally since the Falklands War in 1982.

UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said he had notified the Chinese foreign minister that the UK carrier group is expected to sail through the South China Sea. He said it is going to be an exceptional opportunity to showcase the UK's defense capabilities, but also the wider aspects of "Global Britain".

It was not that long ago that the UK and China embarked upon a "Golden Era" of cooperation. That cooperation has faltered in the post-Brexit era, despite the UK's desperate need for trade partners.

Historically, the British Empire was built on its naval power. And the UK relied on its naval prowess to carry troops to far flung lands, to escort important cargo being transported by merchant navy ships and to fight in two world wars. In modern times, its warships have mainly been used to defend territorial waters in the same way that fighter jets defend national airspace.

They have also assisted in emergencies, combated piracy, supported overseas territories, demonstrated the country's technological innovations and engaged in team-building naval exercises with allies.

The UK also has nuclear submarines carrying Trident missiles, which underpin the country's permanent membership of the UN Security Council as one of the five confirmed nuclear powers.

None of this requires a modern aircraft carrier and its fleet of escorting warships to sail to the South China Sea. There are plenty of other waters that naval exercises can take place in and no need of a fleet of this size to call at the ports to be visited. However, in May 2021, the UK government announced the HMS Queen Elizabeth would lead a carrier strike group on a 28-week journey that is expected to cover 26,000 nautical miles - more than the distance around the world at the equator. Many will connect this to the UK's withdrawal from the EU and Prime Minister Boris Johnson's attempts to promote an independent, yet globally-connected Britain.

But the UK should appreciate that foreign warships are not automatically a welcome presence, especially in far-flung waters. We saw that in the recent incident of the British destroyer HMS Defender passing close to waters claimed by Russia.

Unfortunately, the UK retains a nostalgic hankering for the good old days when Britannia ruled the waves. Those days have long gone. Undoubtedly the leading Western nation patrolling the seas is the United States, which has 20 aircraft carriers, far ahead of Japan and France who are next with four each, and the UK that has two. Indeed, the UK flotilla sailing to the East does not really represent a show of strength, but rather a show of solidarity with Western allies as noted in recent G7 and NATO meetings where China was mentioned as an area of concern.

The projection of Global Britain would be better served by the proposed replacement for the royal yacht Britannia rather than a fleet of warships. Although with an estimated cost of 200 million pounds that is a controversial proposal. Meanwhile, the UK has reduced its long-standing commitment to overseas aid from 0.7 percent of GDP to 0.5 percent on the grounds of economic constraints — a decision that has further dented its global image.

It would be even more unfortunate if the World Tour of HMS Queen Elizabeth created any misunderstandings between Beijing and London. There has already been an outbreak of COVID-19 on ships in the flotilla after a stop in Cyprus. This is not the time for any missteps. Clear communication is essential.

Colin Speakman is an economist and an international educator with CAPA: The Global Education Network.

The opinions expressed here are those of the writer and do not represent the views of China Daily and China Daily website.

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