Beijing slams Lammy for 'sowing discord' with visit to South China Sea
11 March 2025, 16:49 | Updated: 11 March 2025, 16:52
China has hit out at Britain's Foreign Secretary for "sowing discord" with a visit to a contested site in the South China Sea.
Listen to this article
Loading audio...
Beijing officials said David Lammy was "provoking tensions" by visiting a coastguard station owned by the Philippines, in an sea that is contested by the two countries.
Mr Lammy posted a video of himself online earlier this week being given a tour of a Philippines coastguard vessel.
He said: "We’re concerned about dangerous and destabilising activities by China in this region.
"The Philippines is at the sharp end of this, facing frequent challenges to freedom of navigation and international law".
Read more: Beijing threatens to 'expel' Royal Navy warships from South China Sea
China hit back in a statement, claiming that Mr Lammy's statement was incorrect and that in fact the South China Sea was a safe shipping route.
Officials said: "The UK should respect China’s territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea and refrain from provoking tensions or sowing discord over regional disputes.
“The South China Sea is currently one of the safest and freest maritime routes in the world.”
China claims the South China Sea despite an international court ruling in 2016 that it did not belong to Beijing.
The country's government has grown increasingly assertive as it builds military bases and airport runways on constructed islands in the disputed waters.
The Beijing government has also sent ships to harass coastguard vessels in the area.
In recent years, the UK has taken part in US-led efforts to patrol the South China Sea.
Britain's Queen Elizabeth airport carrier was deployed in the Pacific in 2021.
Beijing has threatened to "expel" British warships from parts of the South China Sea at the time.
Last month Rachel Reeves visited China and said the UK "had no choice" but to engage "confidently" with Beijing.
The Chancellor became the most senior British government official to visit China since Theresa May held talks with President Xi Jinping in 2018.
