Britain's new aircraft carriers to test Beijing in South China Sea

UK foreign secretary Boris Johnson commits 'colossal' carriers to embarking on freedom of navigation exercises in pointed remarks

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.

In a pointed declaration aimed squarely at China, whose island-building and militarisation in the sea has unnerved western powers, the British foreign secretary said that when the ships came into service they would be sent to the Asia-Pacific region as one of their first assignments.