Britain ‘pivot’ to Asia after Brexit

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson yesterday announced to parliament a document called `Global Britain in a Competitive Era`, outlining the country’s security, defense and foreign policies post-Brexit, in order to determine

`The broad aim of this most comprehensive policy review since the Cold War is to make Britain stronger, safer and more prosperous, while protecting our values. It outlines

At the beginning of the review, Johnson announced that Britain, which officially left the European Union (EU) last year, would aim for `constructive and effective relationships` with members of the bloc.

The report identifies the Indo-Pacific region, which includes Asian powers such as India, Japan and South Korea, along with emerging economies such as Indonesia and Vietnam, as playing a `critical` role.

British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab (left) during a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi in December 2020.

A testament to Britain’s efforts to pivot to Asia is Johnson’s plan to visit India at the end of April, on the British Prime Minister’s first major international trip after Brexit.

`Joining CPTPP will create huge opportunities for British businesses, which are no longer part of the EU, and deepen our relationship with some of the fastest growing markets in the world.`

CPTPP was signed in 2018, including 11 member countries: Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Singapore, New Zealand, Peru and Vietnam.

Besides, the UK also applied to become a partner of ASEAN.

`We are pursuing trade deals from Australia to the US and around the world, especially in the Indo-Pacific region, an extremely strong growth market in the future,` Foreign Minister

London’s goal of expanding its influence in the Indo-Pacific is also to contain the rise of Beijing.

Despite being overwhelmed both economically and militarily by China, Britain, the world’s 6th largest economy, still believes that through soft power and strategic alliances, it can contribute to convincing Beijing.

Not only the UK, the administration of US President Joe Biden also emphasizes the importance of the Indo-Pacific region.

`The only geopolitical problem in the world today is the rise of China. Everything else pales in comparison to that. So, to assert its global position, Britain must

Downer participated in drafting a report on the UK’s pivot trend, which pointed out that the Indo-Pacific currently accounts for nearly half of global economic output and more than half of the world’s population, including

`If you look at India and the Indo-Pacific region and have a long-term vision, you will see that this is a place with growth opportunities,` Foreign Minister Raab said during a visit to India in December.