Although UK foreign policy has for some time acknowledged the Indo-Pacific’s importance to Britain’s long-term interests, the government has yet to articulate and instrumentalize a sufficiently coherent approach to the region. Worries over European security, and over unpredictable US foreign policy, have understandably dominated policy attention.
This paper argues, however, that the UK does not have the luxury of focusing on one region or problem at a time. The government must update and give due strategic weight to the UK’s relationships in the Indo-Pacific, especially given the economic, security and climate-related risks and cooperation opportunities the region presents. A fully formed Indo-Pacific strategy is also vital to the UK’s ability to manage its relationship with China.
The paper calls for the government to deepen joint initiatives with the so-called ‘Indo-Pacific Four’ (Australia, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea), and to expand cooperation on trade, climate and maritime security in Southeast Asia. The UK also needs to do more to support regional integration and stability in South Asia, taking care to ensure that cultivation of the relationship with India does not eclipse much-needed efforts to develop links with other states.
You must be logged in to post a comment.