China warns Britain ties at risk after warship mission

Reuters: China on Friday warned Britain ties were at risk unless it took steps to “rectify” the situation, after a British warship sailed close to South China Sea islands claimed by China, while a major newspaper said sealing a free trade deal could now be harder. China was infuriated by the HMS Albion, a 22,000-ton amphibious warship, sailing near the Paracel Islands last month, calling it a “provocation”. The Paracels are occupied entirely by China but also claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan.
China and Britain, which have talked of a “golden era” of relations, agreed last month to look at the possibility of reaching a “top notch” post-Brexit free trade deal that promises an important political win for the conservative government.
But the Royal Navy’s mission in the South China Sea, one of China’s most sensitive issues, risks undermining the relationship.
“Britain’s actions were wrong,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told a daily news briefing.
“They clearly violated the consensus and spirit put forward by Britain’s leadership that they wished to build a golden era in ties with China. This certainly will unfavorably influence the further development of the China-Britain relationship.” Hua added: “We hope that Britain can recognize the severity of the issue and take actions to rectify the situation”. She did not elaborate.
There could be real consequences for Britain, the official China Daily newspaper said in an editorial.
“China and the UK had agreed to actively explore the possibility of discussing a free trade agreement after Brexit. Any act that harms China’s core interests will only put a spanner in the works,” it said.