Chinese Ambassador Urges UK to Avoid Sending Aircraft Carrier to Asia-Pacific Region

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Chinese Ambassador to London Liu Xiaoming, in an interview with The Times, urged the UK authorities to cancel plans to send the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth to the Asia-Pacific region and said that the placement of the ship would be "a very dangerous move."

The ambassador said that the move is an indication of the deteriorating relationship between the UK and China after Brexit. Liu posited that the UK still wants to play an important role in global affairs following its withdrawal from the EU, but stressed that this was not the right way to do it.

According to military plans seen by The Times, the 2017-commissioned aircraft carrier is expected to reach the China Sea early next year.

Plans have also been drawn up to send sister ship HMS Prince of Wales to the same destination, although it is not yet fully battle-ready.

Earlier in the week, the outlet reported that the Royal Navy planned to send a new three billion pound ($3.9 billion) aircraft carrier to the South China Sea to take part in war games with the US and Japan.