Boris Johnson has committed the UK’s two brand new aircraft carriers to freedom of navigation exercises in the fiercely contested waters of the South China Sea. China claims it enjoys exclusive control over a massive portion of the sea – within the so-called nine-dash line – based on ancient rights marked in 600-year-old mariners’ books. In dispute with four neighbouring countries, China has claimed sovereignty over islands in international waters in the sea, and built up sandbars and atolls into usable land. In a speech in Sydney later in front of hundreds of politicians and businesspeople, Johnson reiterated the pledge to send the carriers. He said Australian wine was “delicious” and there were no tariffs on the importation of Bundaberg rum into the UK.

Source: The Guardian July 27, 2017 08:20 UTC