Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many freedom of navigation exercises were conducted in the South China Sea by the Royal Navy in (a) 2017 and (b) 2018; and how many exercises his Department has planned for 2019.

There were no maritime deployments to the region in 2017. HMS Sutherland, HMS Albion and HMS Argyll deployed to East Asia in 2018. HMS Montrose is scheduled to deploy to the region in 2019. The deployments so far have involved a mix of bilateral defence engagement events with regional partners and allies, bilateral and multilateral training and exercises, and activity in support of UNSCR and the maintenance of global norms of behaviour.

During their deployments in East Asia, HMS Sutherland and HMS Albion have both asserted their rights to freedom of navigation, in accordance with international law. We do not comment on the details of future deployments as to do so would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.

Whenever UK aircraft and vessels navigate through the South China Sea, they do so in full compliance with international law and norms - as they do wherever they are operating in the world. We are committed to upholding the rules-based international system, including the assertion of rights of freedom of navigation and overflight, as they are laid out under the high seas freedoms under Article 87 of UNCLOS.