Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Monday, Jun 02, 2025

Britain 2030: How far will UK foreign policy tilt toward the Asia Pacific?

Britain 2030: How far will UK foreign policy tilt toward the Asia Pacific?

Boris Johnson's victory in dragging the UK out of the EU last year was supposed to herald a new dawn for the country's foreign policy.
Boris Johnson’s victory in dragging the UK out of the EU was supposed to herald a new dawn for the country’s foreign policy, with his “Global Britain” agenda at the fore. It is perhaps unsurprising we are not much clearer about what this phrase means 20 months on, despite the release of a much heralded integrated review of foreign and defence policy.

The existential question of what the UK stands for on the global stage is hardly a new one. The country has grappled with this problem since the British Empire was gradually dismantled after World War II, with the strategy continually changing over the decades.

At the turn of the millennium New Labour saw the UK’s global role as guiding the direction of the EU, while also flexing its military muscle in stopping crimes against humanity abroad. Brexit, and the many antecedents to the 2016 vote, has left this vision in tatters and is yet to be replaced with a comprehensive alternative.

Anand Menon, director of the UK in a Changing Europe think tank, believes British foreign policy will be rudderless for the foreseeable future.

“Since the Syria civil war vote in 2013 [to not intervene with troops on the ground], British policy has become very ad hoc and I think that adhoc-ery will continue,” he said.

“Come 2030, British foreign policy will still look reactive.”

Early attempts by Johnson and foreign secretary Dominic Raab at changing this have been focused around looking to the East for new partnerships in countries like India and Japan.

The government’s integrated review earlier this year set out an ambition to tilt the UK toward the Indo-Pacific to capitalise on its high-growth economies, while also strengthening ties with potential bulwarks against an increasingly hostile China.

The review argued that “great power competition is unlikely to mean a return to Cold War-style blocs” and that “the influence of middle powers is likely to grow in the 2020s, particularly when they act together”.

The UK’s recent commitment to keep two aircraft carriers in East Asian waters permanently is an example of this tilt toward the region.

Another is the UK’s application to enter the 11-country Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) trading bloc, which includes nations like Australia, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Canada and Mexico.

The bloc makes up around 13 per cent of global GDP, however this figure is likely to increase over time as countries like Vietnam become more economically developed.

International trade secretary Liz Truss has often batted away projections that show membership of the CPTPP will yield little economic benefit in the short-term and instead argues that it is a long-term strategic move.

“This part of the world is where Britain’s greatest opportunities lie. We left the EU with the promise of deepening links with old allies and fast-growing consumer markets beyond Europe,” Truss said in June.

Capital Economics’ chief economist Neil Shearing remains unconvinced.

“I think there will be less change then is being touted and anticipated by Brexit optimists,” he said.

“The gravity model, which is used by the Treasury, assumes you do most of your trade depending on trading partner proximity. There’s 1,000 years of economic history to back this up – while comparative advantage works in text books, it doesn’t explain why so much of our trade is with Europe.”

It could be argued that the larger priority in strengthening partnerships in the Asia Pacific is about creating networks to counter China’s growing influence. The UK-China relationship has taken a sharp downward turn over the past two years, with the government sanctioning Beijing for its democracy clampdown in Hong Kong and ethnic cleansing campaign against Uyghur Muslims.

The US has also rallied for the UK to be a part of a western alliance that counters China’s influence, especially after Beijing has begun to display expansionist tendencies in the South China Sea.

Foreign Affairs Committee chair, and Tory MP, Tom Tugendhat said: “The investment in Asean (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations) is a good priority and I think what they’re doing in terms of the carrier deployment is also important in changing the way we’re seen in the region.

“There is a strong element, of course, in ensuring we maintain an independence from China, but it’s also about ensuring that countries with a choice to make about a rules-based system system [in Asia] are open to it.”

Despite all this, China was labelled only as a competitor in the government’s integrated review this year and not a systemic threat, like Russia and Iran. Ministers have also been quick to say that there is no alternative to having a deep economic relationship with China, despite its increasing recalcitrance on the world stage.

This attempt to face both ways on the most pressing foreign policy issue of our generation is an example of the rudderless nature of foreign policy that Menon says has taken hold over the past decade. He said these kind of contradictions have been endemic in the current government’s statements on foreign policy.

“The integrated review stresses that foreign policy might be Indo-Pacific leaning, but that our security priority remains in our own neighbourhood. The curious paradox is that, despite this, we are allergic to working with EU on foreign and security policy,” Menon said.

Johnson may want to point the UK more in the direction of Asia, but its relationship with the EU will likely still remain larger and more influential by 2030. Economic interdependence – half of the UK’s exports go to the EU – and security concerns will ensure that the EU will overshadow new post-Brext partnerships at least in the short-term.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
European and Arab Ministers Convene in Madrid to Address Gaza Conflict
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
UAE Offers Free ChatGPT Plus Subscriptions to Citizens
Lebanon Initiates Plan to Disarm Palestinian Factions
Iran and U.S. Make Limited Progress in Nuclear Talks
The Daily Debate: The Fall of the Dollar — Strategic Reset or Economic Self-Destruction?
Trump Administration's Tariff Policies and Dollar Strategy Spark Global Economic Debate
OpenAI Acquires Jony Ive’s Startup for $6.5 Billion to Build a Revolutionary “Third Core Device”
Turkey Weighs Citizens in Public as Erdoğan Launches National Slimming Campaign
Saudi-Spanish Business Forum Commences in Riyadh
Saudi Arabia and Spain Sign MoU to Boost SME Sectors
UK Suspends Trade Talks with Israel Amid Gaza Offensive
Iran and U.S. Set for Fifth Round of Nuclear Talks Amid Rising Tensions
Russia Expands Military Presence Near Finland Amid Rising Tensions
Indian Scholar Arrested in Crackdown Over Pakistan Conflict Commentary
Israel Eases Gaza Blockade Amid Internal Dispute Over Military Strategy
President Biden’s announcement of advanced prostate cancer sparked public sympathy—but behind closed doors, Democrats are in panic
A Chinese company made solar tiles that look way nicer than regular panels!
Indian jet shootdown: the all-robot legion behind China’s PL-15E missiles
The Chinese Dragon: The True Winner in the India-Pakistan Clash
Australia's Venomous Creatures Contribute to Life-Saving Antivenom Programme
The Spanish Were Right: Long Working Hours Harm Brain Function
Did Former FBI Director Call for Violence Against Trump? Instagram Post Sparks Uproar
US and UAE Partner to Develop Massive AI Data Center Complex
Apple's $95 Million Siri Settlement: Eligible Users Have Until July 2 to File Claims
US and UAE Reach Preliminary Agreement on Nvidia AI Chip Imports
President Trump and Elon Musk Welcomed by Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim with Cybertruck Convoy
Strong Warning Issued: Do Not Use General Chatbots for Medical, Legal, or Educational Guidance
Saudi Arabia Emerges as Global Tech Magnet with U.S. Backing and Trump’s Visit
This was President's departure from Saudi Arabia. The Crown Prince personally escorted him back to the airport.
NVIDIA and Saudi Arabia Launch Strategic Partnership to Establish AI Centers
Trump Meets Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara in Historic Encounter
Trump takes a blow torch to the neocons and interventionists while speaking to the Saudis
US and Saudi Arabia Sign Landmark Agreements Across Multiple Sectors
Why Saudi Arabia Rolled Out a Purple Carpet for Donald Trump Instead of Red
Elon Musk Joins Trump Meeting in Saudi Arabia
Trump says it would be 'stupid' not to accept gift of Qatari plane
Quantum Computing Threatens Bitcoin Security
×