Far Eastern front... UK shifts defence focus on to China
BRITAIN will focus on the IndoPacific region to counter the growing influence of China, Boris Johnson will announce today.
The Prime Minister, setting out the most comprehensive assessment of foreign and defence policies in decades, will also set up a Counter-Terrorism Operations Centre to tackle extremists and hostile state activity.
Mr Johnson will say the hub “significantly improves our ability to thwart terrorists, while dealing with the actions of hostile states”.
Police, spies and analysts will all be working alongside each other.
Meanwhile, the HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier will be deployed to the region in May, and the UK will apply for partner status at the Association of South East Asian nations.
The UK hopes to forge closer alliances with the group, which includes Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
Mr Johnson will also travel to India at the end of April in his first major international visit since Britain left the EU.
He will say: “The ingenuity of our citizens and the strength of our union will combine with our international partnerships, modernised Armed Forces and a new green agenda, enabling us to look forward with confidence as we shape the world of the future.”
The strategy is expected to see Britain invest in cyber capabilities, unmanned fighter jets and drones.
But many experts fear Britain is about to witness a “shocking reduction” in military capabilities, with troop numbers forecast to be cut by 10,000 to 73,000.
Seventy-seven Challenger II tanks are expected to be scrapped, along with all of our 767 Warrior armoured fighting vehicles, 14 Hercules C130s transport planes and four Royal Navy frigates.
Former Army chief General Sir Mike Jackson said further reducing the number of troops risked Britain becoming “strategically insignificant”.
Conservative chair of the Defence Committee Tobias Ellwood said: “Yes, we must adapt to new threats – but this does not mean that the old threats have disappeared.”