The British Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales is heading to the Indo-Pacific region to demonstrate its commitment to maintaining maritime security and freedom of navigation as China expands its coercive activities.
HMS Prince of Wales, which left a naval base in Portsmouth in April, was joined by a British destroyer, a frigate, and a submarine. It also has 24 F-35B Lightning fighters and Wildcat and Merlin helicopters.
Two Norwegian vessels, two Spanish vessels, and a Canadian frigate also formed part of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) eight-month deployment in the South and East China Sea to challenge China’s efforts to change the status quo in this part of the world.
A frigate from New Zealand will join the flotilla when it crosses the Indian Ocean, and the US surface combatant vessels are expected when the NATO force enters the Indo-Pacific region.
This is the biggest and most ambitious NATO mission, codenamed “Operation Highmast,” to show Western Europe’s commitment to political stability and prosperity in the region.
This was also the second time since 2021 when a British Royal Navy carrier, HMS Queen Elizabeth II, sailed to the same region.
Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, a Philippine Navy spokesman for the West Philippine Sea issue, said NATO’s Operation Highmast showed Europe’s commitment to supporting the rules-based international order and resolve to reassure their allies.”
Trinidad said the Philippines can now count on not only Southeast Asian countries, India, Japan, Australia, and the United States, but also European allies to pressure China to adhere to international laws, respecting Manila’s maritime zones.
Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said Europe has a big stake in the stability of the region after Chinese troops started war games exercises with Russian forces along the Polish borders.
China’s presence along NATO borders worries the trans-Atlantic military alliance. China has expanded its influence in the South Pacific islands, Latin America, Africa, and South Asia.
For decades, Europe relied on the US security umbrella, and Europeans felt no longer threatened since the end of the Second World War.
The armies of NATO states remained small. Teodoro said many European states, including Germany, have difficulty recruiting soldiers.
US President Donald Trump’s efforts to end the conflict in Eastern Europe also impacted NATO’s role as a consolidated military and political power.
For instance, contradictions have arisen between the Trump administration, including some NATO states, and European allies as Volodymir Zelenskyy began talks in Washington and London to end the conflict.
There are dangers that NATO and the EU’s fundamental principle of consensus may collapse as major powers insist on subordinating minor allies.
For instance, the decision-making process was imposed on minor allies, limiting their sovereignty within the EU.
A similar trend can be observed in NATO.
Dominant NATO and EU states attempted to alter the consensus role within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to meddle in the domestic affairs and fuel new conflicts, including with China.
The United States, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany are among NATO states that have attempted to influence the situation in the Indo-Pacific region. This could be dangerous and may lead to conflicts and create instability.
They are only in search of a new role, a rallying point to remain relevant.
Germany and the United Kingdom’s actions showed worsening contradictions with other NATO states, polarizing the alliance.
Developing countries should be more active in promoting a fairer and more mutually beneficial world order.
HMS Prince of Wales’ eight-month deployment in this part of the world should be seen as part of NATO’s efforts to remain relevant and protect NATO’s interests, instead of helping small states confront China.