Ajit Karn
San Diego: In an update to its foreign policy framework published on Monday, Britain characterised China as a “epoch-defining challenge” to the global order and stated that the outcome of the Ukraine conflict would determine the country’s security.
In the refresh of Britain’s framework for security and international policy, the government warned of China’s deepening partnership with Russia, and Moscow’s growing cooperation with Tehran following the invasion of Ukraine.
Only first released two years ago, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said Britain’s Integrated Review (IR) had been updated to take account of events, with the hardening of language and positioning towards Beijing and Moscow.
However, the decision to continue not describing China as a threat is likely to disappoint many members of Sunak’s ruling Conservative Party, who also believe that his pledge to spend an additional £5 billion ($6 billion) on defence is insufficient to support Ukraine without leaving the United Kingdom vulnerable.
“What could not be completely foreseen in 2021 was the tempo of the geopolitical change and the extent of its impact on the UK and our people,” Sunak wrote in a foreword to the IR.
Since then, Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, weaponization of energy and food supplies, and irresponsible nuclear rhetoric, combined with China’s more aggressive posture in the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait, threaten to create a world characterised by peril, chaos, and division.
Foreign Secretary James Cleverly told parliament on Monday China’s scale and significance connected it “to almost every global issue”.
“We cannot turn a blind eye to the Chinese Communist Party’s increasingly aggressive military and economic behaviour, which includes fueling tensions across the Taiwan Strait,” he said.
The unveiling of the update has been choreographed to coincide with Sunak’s visit to San Diego to agree the next stages in a landmark defence agreement, AUKUS, with U.S. President Joseph Biden and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese
As part of efforts to counter China in the Indo-Pacific, 3 billion pounds of Britain’s additional defence expenditure will be allocated to nuclear programmes, including assistance to Australia for the construction of nuclear-powered submarines.
Upon its initial publication in 2021, the Integrated Review referred to China as a “systemic competitor” – a term that some members of Sunak’s party deemed to be misleading.
“China under the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) poses an epoch-defining and systemic challenge with implications for almost every area of government policy and the ordinary lives of British people,” the amended document said.
China has pursued a rapid and opaque military modernization with massive new investments, militarised disputed islands in the South China Sea, and refused to renounce the use of force to achieve its Taiwanese objectives.
While outlining that the United Kingdom would strengthen its national security protections and increase its work with regional partners, the government reaffirmed its preference for improved cooperation and understanding with Beijing.
“But we believe that this will depend on the choices China makes, and will be made harsher if trends towards increased authoritarianism and assertiveness overseas continue,” it said.
Russia Danger
While saying tensions in the Indo-Pacific “could have global consequences greater than the conflict in Ukraine”, Britain said Russia still remained the most acute threat.
“What has altered is that our collective security now is intrinsically linked to the outcome of the conflict in Ukraine,” the IR added.
Britain and other Western countries have scaled up their pledges of military aid for Ukraine this year, with promises of tanks and armoured vehicles, as well as longer-range weaponry.
On the other hand, they have expressed concern at support for Russia being potentially offered by China and Iran.
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“China’s deepening partnership with Russia and Russia’s growing cooperation with Iran in the aftermath of the invasion of Ukraine are two developments of particular concern,” the IR said.
With Sunak under pressure to do more to help the defence ministry combat inflation and replace weaponry sent to Ukraine, two billion pounds will go towards replenishing and increasing conventional stockpiles and investing in munitions infrastructure.
He also outlined a “aspiration” to increase defence expenditure to 2.5% of gross domestic product in the longer term.
