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Tensions in the Asian region remain high as countries keep tabs on China as it looks to expand its territory both on land and sea. Following the threats made to Japan over Taiwan that could potentially start a world war, the UK is sending two of its warships into the region.
UK Defense Secretary Ben Wallace announced during his visit to Tokyo to meet with his Japanese counterpart, Nobuo Kishi. Wallace said that the UK will be permanently deploying two of its ships to the region, the HMS Spey and the HMS Tamar. The announcement comes as the UK looks to strengthen ties with Japan and as China threatened to use nuclear weapons on Japan should the country intervene with its efforts to take back the island nation.
Japan has expressed increasing concerns regarding China’s plans to take over Taiwan, which it claims to be part of the mainland. Taiwan, however, is a democratically-run nation.
“Following on from the strike group’s inaugural deployment, the United Kingdom will permanently assign two ships in the region from later this year,” said the UK Defense Secretary. The flagship aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth will be making a planned visit to the region in September, with F-35B stealth jets onboard and escorted by two destroyers, two frigates, two support vessels, and ships from both the US and the Netherlands.
The HMS Queen Elizabeth will be transiting through the long-disputed South China Sea, to which China claims sovereignty over but overlaps with the surrounding Southeast Asian countries. The aircraft carrier will also make stops in Singapore, South Korea, and India.
The US is also on alert following the threats made by China over Japan, sending allied nations into a race of boosting their respective nuclear arsenals. Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan have reportedly expressed concerns that their nuclear weapons supply from the US may be cut off in case of a military conflict with China. The WION news outlet reported that countries in the region are now looking to develop their own long-range weapons.
“China and the US possess missiles of the greatest range but others aren’t far behind,” said WION reporter Jodie Cohen. “South Korea, North Korea, Taiwan, Japan, and Australia all have missiles that have a strike range between 800 and 2000 kilometers. Some of America’s allies are now developing their own arsenals to reduce the risk of supply chains being cut off in a time of war.”
