A video posted on Facebook (FB) claimed that the United Kingdom (U.K.) will deploy an aircraft carrier to the South China Sea to show support for the Philippines amid heightened tensions with China.
This is old news and is misleading. It was in 2021 when the U.K government deployed the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth as part of a carrier strike group to boost its presence in the Indo Pacific region and demonstrate freedom of navigation over contested waters.
The misleading video appeared eight days after a Chinese ship harassed a Philippine resupply mission in Ayungin Shoal.
The video narrator claimed that the announcement about the deployment came from Ben Wallace, whom he described as British Defence Secretary. Wallace, who served from July 2019 to August 2023, has been replaced by Grant Shapps as defence chief.
Posted by Facebook page and YouTube channel PH TV, the misleading video garnered 914 reactions, 66 comments, and 23,072 views.
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