Voice of America News reports: “Australia and Britain on Friday criticized China for its actions in Hong Kong and the South China Sea and its support of Russia, after a meeting in which London and Canberra deepened their security ties.

The two countries called out ‘recent unsafe and destabilizing behavior by China’s vessels against Philippine vessels and crew near Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea,’ in a statement that contained unusually direct language on Beijing’s activities in the region.

In a joint statement earlier this month with Southeast Asian nations, Australia called for restraint in the South China Sea, without explicitly mentioning China.

Friday’s statement was issued after Britain’s foreign secretary, David Cameron, and defense secretary Grant Shapps met their Australian counterparts, Penny Wong and Richard Marles, in Adelaide.

The four ministers said they were concerned about Hong Kong’s new security law and the erosion of freedom and rights in the territory, a former colony of Britain, as well as human rights abuses in China…”