UK Concerned by Beijing’s Activity in South China Sea, Foreign Secretary Says

David Lammy said the UK will work with the Philippines to ’maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific.’

British Foreign Minister David Lammy meets with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. (not pictured) in Manila, Philippines, March 8, 2025. Ezra Acayan/Getty Images

The UK is “concerned” by the Chinese regime’s “dangerous and destabilizing activities” in the South China Sea, Foreign Secretary David Lammy said following his recent visit to the Philippines, which he said is at “the sharp end” as a result of Beijing’s behavior.

“A third of global maritime trade passes through the South China Sea. Growth in the UK and around the world depends on these trade routes being safe and secure. That’s why we’re concerned about dangerous and destabilizing activities by China in this region,” Lammy said in a video posted on X on March 10.

“The Philippines is at the sharp end of this, facing frequent challenges to freedom of navigation and international law,” he said.

Lammy said the UK and the Philippines are “committed to the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea [UNCLOS],” and will work together to “enhance our security and prosperity, and maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific.”

Beijing claims sovereignty over almost all of the South China Sea, including parts which Manila named the West Philippine Sea. It rejected a 2016 international arbitration ruling by a U.N.-affiliated court in the Hague, which ruled against Beijing’s expansive claims in the area.

In the past two years, the Chinese regime has continuously sent navy, coast guard, and maritime militia vessels to patrol the resource-rich region. Manila said Chinese vessels have repeatedly rammed Philippine vessels and condemned Beijing for firing flares at Philippine aircraft.

In February, Manila said a Chinese naval helicopter flew dangerously close to a Philippine aircraft. The reported incident drew condemnation from ambassadors of the United States, the EU, the UK, New Zealand, and Australia.

British ambassador Laure Beaufils said the UK was “deeply concerned” over reports of the Chinese Navy helicopter’s “dangerous actions” that “increase the risk of miscalculation, which endangers lives.”

Lammy’s remarks on March 10 came two days after the foreign secretary signed an agreement on March 8 with his Filipino counterpart Enrique A. Manalo during Lammy’s visit to Manila.

The Joint Framework for the Philippines-UK Enhanced Partnership is expected to broaden the countries’ cooperation across a range of areas including defense, trade, innovation, and climate financing.

Amid rising tensions in the Indo-Pacific, the Philippines has broadened its security partnerships while maintaining its long-standing alliance with treaty ally the United States.

On March 7, Manila said it was set to sign a deal with Canada that would establish a framework for increased military and defense cooperation and collaboration between the two nations and improve interoperability between their forces.

In February, it concluded similar negotiations with New Zealand and the two countries expect to sign an official agreement in the second quarter of this year.

Last year, the Philippines ratified a reciprocal access agreement with Japan, the first of its kind that Tokyo has signed in Asia, that would allow their militaries to deploy on each other’s soil.

Reuters contributed to this report.