EST 1995 SOUTHEAST ASIA | New 'global Britain' sets naval sights on Asia
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REAL-TIME INTEL ON WHAT MOVES MARKETS New ‘global Britain’ sets naval sight
3 HOURS AGO on Asia Taiwan to upgrade lab for biological warfare defense UK says it will establish soon a new naval base in the region, likely in Brunei or Singapore, a move Taiwan has cheer China has also unveiled a will likely lament plan to build between ve and seven level-4 labs across the nation by the mid-2020s By DAVID HUTT, @davidhu journo | LYON, FRANCE, JANUARY 8, 2019 3:51 PM (UTC+8)
3 HOURS AGO Bullet train drivers in China to become mere passengers Japan also aims to up the ante in a race with China to be rst to have trains running on autopilot
5 HOURS AGO Xi to host huge parade for China’s 70th anniversary President Xi, known for his penchant for pomp and circumstance, is seen to need such parades to bolster his image
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Your Email here A British naval o cer looks up at the u ering White ensign ag hoisted at the stern during the Commissioning Ceremony for the Royal Navy aircra carrier Elizabeth at HM Naval Base in Portsmouth, southern England on December 7, 2017. Photo: AFP/Richard Pohle
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f as expected the United Kingdom leaves the European Union later this year, the one-time colonial power will again shi its gaze towards Asia. That was con rmed last week when Defense Secretary Gavin EST 1995 SOUTHEAST ASIA | New 'global Britain' sets naval sights on Asia CHINA DIGEST Williamson said that Britain aims to establish a new naval base More on this topic ECONOMICS AND POLICY FROM somewhere in Asia in the coming years. CHINA'S NEWSPAPERS I UK’s hopes of 15 HOURS AGO Must-reads from across Asia - directly to your Paci c strike The daily inbox Chinese economy will Report France prema grow 6.3% in 2019: EMANUELE SCIMIA economists Your Email here SUBMIT 8.57% growth rate for retail sales expected, down from 2018's estimated 9.02% O awa dema “This is our bi gest moment as a nation since the end of the Second release Canad 15 HOURS AGO World War,” Williamson said. “This is our moment to be that true detainees China will meet its ANDREW SALMON A 6.5% growth target global player once more – and I think the armed forces play a really for 2018: o cial important role as part of that.” Output is expected to reach 90 trillion yuan, an increase Rescued kids of 8 trillion yuan over 2017 Singapore or Brunei, two of care homes, m Britain’s old colonies in rejoined crim 16 HOURS AGO Southeast Asia, could be ASIA TIMES STAFF Developer potential sites for the Evergrande sets sales target of US$87 billion broached new base, a source EVEN MORE Firm has launched 35 million close to Williamson told the square meters of new homes worth 370 billion yuan Sunday Telegraph, a British
MORE newspaper.
Brunei already hosts a small THE BRIEF British military base, where a ba alion of the Royal Gurkha Ri es is stationed and paid for by the
MAIN LATEST country’s ruling Sultan.
08-01-2019 20:19 Malaysia, another former British colony but whose government is now Nissan’s Ghosn denies controlled by a known anti-British prime minister, Mahathir every charge (Jake Mohamad, appears ill- t for the role. Adelstein)
08-01-2019 19:13 One year since crypto peaked and it all looks very di erent (Luke Thompson)
The UK’s HMS Albion warship at a port in Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: British Royal Navy
It also seems unlikely that Britain would opt for an Asian country that is not part of its Commonwealth, a political association mostly composed of the UK’s former territories.
Regardless of where the prospective base is located, or how signi cant RBPit will be militarily, it is yet another indication that Britain aims to play a much bi ger role in Asian a airs than it has for decades. It’s all part of the ruling Conservative party’s axiom to forge a new EST 1995 SOUTHEAST ASIA | New 'global Britain' sets naval sights on Asia “global Britain.” But the move comes at a confusing time, both in Europe and Asia.
In recent years, geopolitical tensions in Asia have escalated between an assertive China, which has spread its diplomacy far and wide through its US$1 trillion Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) investment scheme, and a revanchist United States keen to regain the in uence and power it has
Hotel Bonvecchiati lost due to China’s rise.
Venice Britain, virtually absent from the Asia-Paci c since de-colonization more than half a century ago, appears to feel there is a place to reposition itself in the region amid the ri , to reemerge as a “true global player” in Williamson’s words.
It has certain regional backers. Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen, who Book now was told by China’s paramount leader Xi Jinping recently that he might consider using military force to achieve “reuni cation” of the two nations, said on January 5 that she welcomed a new British military base in the region.
Park Plaza London, Park “Any actions that will be helpful towards maintaining peace in the Royal South China Sea, as well as maintaining freedom of passage,” she said London would be supported by Taiwan.
08-01-2019 19:13 Taiwan to upgrade lab for biological warfare defense (Asia Times Sta )
08-01-2019 18:58 Govt o ers quota bene ts to poor upper-caste voters (Shivam Vij)
08-01-2019 18:43 Bullet train drivers in China to become mere passengers (Asia Times Sta )
08-01-2019 18:04 A British naval o cer aboard a warship. Photo: Facebook Fears of environmental threat from burnt tanker o Hong Kong (Asia Times Few other Asian governments have publicly commented on the Sta And AFP) Britain’s planned new naval base, but it might have gone down well in regional capitals that oppose China’s expansionist moves in the South 08-01-2019 17:17 Xi to host huge parade for China Sea, parts of which are contested by Vietnam, Malaysia, the China’s 70th anniversary Philippines and Taiwan. (Asia Times Sta )
08-01-2019 16:57 “It is clearly a muscle- exing gesture targeting China and shows closer Why Indonesia's military engagement of external powers in the South China Sea disputes,” Xu and police just can't get Liping, a professor at the Institute of Asia-Paci c Studies under the along. (John McBeth) Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the South China Morning
08-01-2019 16:55 Post. The Supreme Court set aside the Modi government's October 2018 Since the Brexit referendum in June 2016, at which a slim majority of order stating that the federal voters opted to leave the European Union, successive Conservative investigation agency's independence must be governments ill-prepared for such an outcome have scrambled not protected (Saikat Da a) only to sort out an exit deal but also how to de ne Britain’s place in the
RBPworld post-Brexit. 08-01-2019 16:26 UAE backs Pakistan with $6.2 billion in aid, doubt on Back in January 2017, Prime Minister Theresa May said she wanted to build a “global Britain.” Months later, then Foreign Secretary Boris IMF bailout (Kunwar Johnson stated that Britain would be “more commi ed to the Asia- Khuldune Shahid) EST 1995 SOUTHEAST ASIA | New 'global Britain' sets naval sights on Asia Paci c region” and a er decades of moving its military interests
08-01-2019 15:51 westwards away from Asia the UK’s forces would be heading “back east A new 'global Britain' sets of Suez.” its naval sights on Asia. (David Hu ) At the time, few analysts thought such u erances were more than 08-01-2019 15:49 platitudes or even delusions. For critics, it was the government trying Indonesia luncurkan to put a positive spin on the Brexit deal. aplikasi baru untuk pekerja migran (Asia Times Sta ) But, in April of last year, Britain opened a new naval base in Bahrain, its 08-01-2019 14:56 rst new base east of Suez since 1971. A new training base in Oman is ‘Deal of the century’ to bene t Israel despite delays set to open this year. With 16 military bases across the world, Britain is (Shaiel Ben-Ephraim) second only to the US in scale.
08-01-2019 13:17 While for decades previous governments have had nothing similar to Asia may get trumped amid World Bank intrigue America’s “Pivot to Asia” or Russia’s “Look East” policies, Britain has (William Pesek) nonetheless maintained signi cant military interests in the Asia- Paci c. 08-01-2019 12:27 Kim in China: Prelude to next Kim-Trump summit? (Andrew Salmon)
08-01-2019 06:50 Chinese economy will grow 6.3% in 2019: economists (Asia Times Sta )
08-01-2019 06:36 China will meet its 6.5% growth target for 2018: o cial (Asia Times Sta )
08-01-2019 06:13 Developer Evergrande sets sales target of US$87 billion British Prime Minister Theresa May leaves 10 Downing Street in central London in a le photo. (Asia Times Sta ) Photo: AFP
08-01-2019 05:23 Opinion // Put your For instance, it still holds regular military exercises with its recession fears aside, but expect slower growth (Ted Commonwealth partners, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia and New Gover) Zealand, all of whom are still party to the Five Power Defense Arrangements, a defense relationship formed in the 1970s. 08-01-2019 02:52 Opinion // A new era dawns for Pakistan-Turkey relations In September, one of its warships took part in a “freedom of (Zamir Awan) navigation” exercise in the South China Sea, much to the chagrin of China, which considered it a hostile gesture. 07-01-2019 22:23 Opinion // North Korea talks: Trump must learn from Much like current and past American presidents, British ministers past blunders (Adam Hardy) now speak of their renewed interest in Asia with a degree of moral and political benevolence.
07-01-2019 20:16 SEAsia wary of China's BRI, skeptical of US, new survey Britain, said Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt during a speech in shows. (Bertil Lintner) Singapore last week, can “act as an invisible chain linking together the democracies of the world, those countries which share our values and 07-01-2019 19:23 support our belief in free trade, the rule of law and open societies.” New interbank platform shows Asia’s blockchain growth (Luke Thompson) Ironically, perhaps, Hunt was speaking in an island state which has been controlled by one repressive party since its independence in 1965 07-01-2019 19:12 and no democratic transfer looks likely any time soon. Love BTS? 10 top K-pop acts RBP to check out next (Hannah Kang) Moreover, one likely location for Britain’s new Asia military base is Brunei, an oil rich state of less than a million people dominated by 07-01-2019 18:57 More fuel for Singapore's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah for more than 50 years which doesn’t make rekindled Lee family feud. EST 1995 SOUTHEAST ASIA | New 'global Britain' sets naval sights on Asia (Kirsten Han) any pretense of multi-party democracy. 07-01-2019 18:53 But Hunt’s comments about upholding “free trade” were likely be er UN Syria envoy assumes post as Arabs restore links received than his rhetoric on “open societies.” with Assad (Sami Moubayed)
07-01-2019 18:46 Taiwanese satellites soon to head for launch from Florida (Asia Times Sta )
07-01-2019 18:29 Chinese law o cers operate inside Hong Kong rail station (Asia Times Sta )
07-01-2019 18:00 Tech entrepreneur denies con ict of interest, lauds use of data (Saikat Da a)
Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II (R) and The Sultan of Brunei Hassanal Bolkiah walk past a parade of 07-01-2019 17:51 Gurkhas during the Gurkha 200 pageant at the Royal Hospital Chelsea in London, June 9, 2015. Photo: AFP/Alastair Grant King Muhammad V's surprise abdication stirs Malaysia's royal a airs. (Nile Bowie) China, Japan, South Korea and Vietnam all count Britain as an important trading partner, though by no means their most important. Yet trade will certainly be a ected when (or if) the UK nally leaves the MORE European Union, with which several Asian nations have or are negotiating free trade agreements (FTAs).
Senior British ministers have spent a considerable part of the last two years touring Asia to drum up support for new bilateral economic agreements once Britain is removed from the EU’s pacts.
Certain FTAs have been discussed, but formal negotiations will have to wait until a er Britain leaves the EU. In that connection, Hunt toured Singapore and Malaysia last week to talk about British trade with Southeast Asia once it exits the EU.
While Japan and South Korea tend to export as much as they import from Britain, most Southeast Asia nations have gaping trade de cits.
Vietnam, which has recently agreed to an FTA with the EU, exported some US$4 billion worth of goods to Britain in 2016, according to UK trade data. Thailand exported almost the same worth of goods, while Cambodia sent almost US$1 billion. For all three, imports from Britain were worth less than a third of their exports.
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A British trade ship. Photo: Facebook It wouESlTd 19 9t5 hus be of inStOerUeTsHt EfoArS tThe AsSeIA e x| pNoerwte 'rgsl otob able B orinta firni'e snedtlsy n taevraml sights on Asia with Britain post-Brexit, lest they su er future trade slumps. But trade, per se, isn’t enough: Vietnam, for example, trades more with Germany than with the UK.
Moreover, soon-to-be economic powerhouses like Indonesia and, quite far behind, Vietnam, are almost entirely absent in public or political conversation in Britain.
A new military base in Asia would, at least physically, demonstrate that Britain aims to be another protector of international rule of law, including in regards to freedom of navigation in the South China Sea, a strategic role that could translate into greater economic access to the fast-growing region.
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#SOUTH CHINA SEA #POST-BREXIT #GLOBAL BRITAIN #BELT AND ROAD INITIATIVE
#BACK EAST OF SUEZ #PIVOT TO ASIA #FREE-TRADE AGREEMENTS
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