Eye on China, British warship to visit Japan

Tokyo, April 26

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Britain’s HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier will lead a flotilla of Royal Navy ships through Asian waters on port visits to Japan and South Korea on its maiden deployment, the British embassy in Tokyo said on Monday.

The high-profile visits, aimed at bolstering security ties in East Asia, come amid tensions in the region as concern grows in Japan over any threat posed to neighbouring Taiwan by China.

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and US President Joe Biden issued a joint statement this month addressing China’s growing assertiveness and the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.

The ships will also stop in India and Singapore. Exercises will be conducted with Japan, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, France, the UAE, India, Italy, Denmark and others. — Reuters