Britain’s Chancellor of Exchequer Philip Hammond has criticized the country’s defense chief for irritating China with a series of military threats, saying London should adopt a milder tone vis-à-vis Beijing as it seeks better economic ties with the Chinese after Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union.
Hammond said on Thursday that Defense Secretary Gavin Williamson had caused problems in UK-China relations by vowing to send an aircraft carrier to the South China Sea, where China is involved in a territorial dispute with several countries in the region.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4, Hammond admitted Williamson’s comments had caused the Chinese to call off planned trade talks with the UK.
“It’s a complex relationship and it hasn’t been made simpler by Chinese concerns about Royal Navy deployments in the South China Sea,” said Hammond.
The finance minister said he was “disappointed that the Chinese have reacted in the way that…