China demands Britain hands over the Falklands to Argentina

China demands Britain hands over the Falklands to Argentina… as Beijing continues to threaten Taiwan

• China accused UK of ‘power politics’ by keeping Falklands under British rule 

China has demanded Britain hand over the Falkland Islands to Argentina and called on countries to abandon ‘colonial thinking’ – all while Beijing continues to threaten Taiwan with an invasion.

The Chinese ambassador to the United Nations Geng Shuang accused the UK of playing ‘power politics’ by keeping The Falklands, known as the Malvinas in Argentina, under British rule.

The Falklands were the subject of a short but brutal war after Argentina invaded in 1982. Britain drove out the invaders after dispatching a naval armada, but the issue has never been considered settled in Buenos Aires.

‘The issue of the Malvinas Islands is a historical legacy of colonialism,’ Shuang said, according to South China Morning Post. ‘Although the colonial era has passed, hegemonism and power politics that are in line with colonial thinking still exist today.’ 

Failing to mention that China has threatened to annex Taiwan by force if the island’s government does not to submit to Beijing’s demands, Shuang said colonial thinking has a ‘serious impact’ on international relations. 

He added that colonial thinking also ‘seriously damages’ the sovereignty, security and development interests of the countries involved. ‘The international community must remain highly vigilant and resolutely resist this. 

The UK-ruled Falkland Islands, known as the Malvinas in Spanish, were the subject of a short but brutal war after Argentina invaded in 1982. Britain drove out the invading force after dispatching a naval armada. Pictured: British troops patrol the Falkland Islands last year

Pictured: The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Chung-Hoon observing the Chinese PLA Navy vessel Luyang III (top) while on a transit through the Taiwan Strait with the Royal Canadian Navy’s HMCS Montreal on June 3

Shuang made the comments yesterday during a special committee meeting on decolonisation, which adopted a resolution calling on the UK and Argentina to resume negotiations over the Falkland Islands after talks shut down earlier this year.

In March, Argentina furiously accused Britain of ignoring international law after it ripped up a co-operation pact with the UK and demanded new talks over the sovereignty of the Falklands. 

But in response, Britain’s Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said at the time ‘the Falkland Islands are British’.

Argentina believes the Falklands were illegally taken from it in 1833 and invaded the British colony in 1982. The United Kingdom sent troops and Argentina lost the two-month war for the South Atlantic archipelago in a conflict that claimed the lives of 649 Argentines and 255 British soldiers.

Argentina still claims the islands while Britain says the Falklands are a self-governing entity under its protection. A 2013 referendum on the islands resulted in a 99.8 per cent vote to remain British.

During the UN Committee meeting on Tuesday, Shuang said China ‘firmly supported’ Argentina’s claim over the islands and called for the UK to hand over the Falklands.

‘We urge the UK… to avoid measures that may aggravate tension and confrontation, and at the same time actively respond to Argentina’s request to resume dialogue and negotiations,’ he said.

The speech parroted the same lines pushed out by Beijing that the US and Western nations are trying to maintain their dominance in the South China Sea when they push back against China’s military presence there.

Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Beijing on Monday

In 1982, the Falkland Islands were invaded by Argentine forces who were beat back in a ten-week war ordered by Margaret Thatcher. The islands were returned to British control. Pictured: British soldiers hoisting the flag after the war

In recent months, China has been ramping up its military presence in the South China Sea and President Xi Jinping said in November that Beijing will focus on preparing for war.

There are fears that China will invade Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its own. Xi has vowed to ‘reunify’ the self-governing island with the mainland of China, calling it the ‘great trend of history’.

China has increasingly spoken out in favour of Argentina gaining control over the Falkland Islands – and against colonisation – on the world stage. Experts say this is because Beijing wants to challenge what it sees as Western hegemony.

In February last year, Xi and his Argentine counterpart Alberto Fernandez issued a joint statement which said that China ‘reaffirms its support for Argentina’s demand for the full exercise of sovereignty over the Malvinas Islands’. 

The joint statement also said Argentina ‘reaffirms its adherence to the one-China principle,’ a reference to China’s claim to Taiwan.

Argentina still claims sovereignty over the Falklands, despite it being a British overseas territory since 1833. 

But Argentina claims it acquired the Falklands from Spain in 1816 before Britain asserted its rule.

In 1982, the archipelago was invaded by Argentine forces who beaten in a ten-week war ordered by Margaret Thatcher and the islands were returned to British control.

During fierce fighting on land, in the air and at sea, a total of seven British ships were lost, including the Sir Galahad, HMS Coventry and HMS Sheffield, which was struck by an Exocet anti-ship missile.

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