By William James
LONDON (Reuters) – Britain wants to expand its influence among countries in the Indo-Pacific region to try to moderate China’s global dominance, a document setting out post-Brexit foreign policy priorities will be released on Tuesday.
The document will also highlight the importance of strong ties to the United States, and the British media said that an increase was planned for Britain’s nuclear arsenal and that Russia would be considered a major security threat.
Britain’s biggest review of foreign and defense policy since the end of the Cold War will define how Prime Minister Boris Johnson wants to be at the forefront of an invigorated, rule-based international order based on cooperation and free trade.
Calling the Indo-Pacific “increasingly the geopolitical center of the world”, the government highlighted the deployment of a British aircraft carrier planned for the region and said that a previously postponed visit to India would take place in April.
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab acknowledged that Britain’s attempts to influence Beijing have been marginal until now, and said that cooperation with other nations in the region has given it a better chance to persuade China to play according to the established rules.
“We are much better off working together with groups of countries with similar ideas – not just Europeans and Americans – but more broadly to try to have the maximum impact and to moderate the impact on China, because it is sensitive to its reputation.” Raab told Times Radio.
The United States also underlined the importance of the Indo-Pacific region under President Joe Biden and warned against China’s growing assertiveness, and the European Union also hopes to deepen ties with the Indo-Pacific countries.
The British government said the “Integrated Review” will show that Britain, which left the EU last year, still has international influence after Brexit and will set a new era for the country.
“I am deeply optimistic about the UK’s place in the world and our ability to take advantage of the opportunities that lie ahead,” Johnson said in a statement to parliament.
FUTURE POST-BREXIT
The document will be examined for evidence of how the government will deliver on Johnson’s promises as Britain deals with the economic and political consequences of Brexit and the pandemic COVID-19.
The Sun newspaper reported that the document would raise Britain’s maximum nuclear warheads from 180 to 260.
Sky News said the report would classify Russia as an “active threat” and take a more subtle approach to China as a “systemic challenge” – a reference to its authoritarian rather than democratic leadership and economic influence.
In 2015, Britain’s then finance minister, George Osborne, predicted a “golden” era in Sino-British relations. But ties have eroded because of issues such as Beijing’s delivery of the former British colony from Hong Kong and security issues surrounding Chinese investment in the UK.
Raab told Sky News that Britain would like to have a positive relationship with China, but not at the expense of defending its values.
A statement that preceded the report underlined “the importance of our relationship with the United States” alongside the defense of democracy and human rights and security against terrorism.
(Reporting by William James, additional reporting by Andy Bruce, Editing by Mark Heinrich and Timothy Heritage)