Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Friday, Jun 20, 2025

UK navy returns to Indo-Pacific amid concerns over China assertiveness

UK navy returns to Indo-Pacific amid concerns over China assertiveness

Britain's naval role in the Indo-Pacific is undergoing a "step change" due to the challenges posed by Chinese maritime ambitions, according to security analysts interviewed by Kyodo News.
After decades of downsizing its role in the region, Britain is poised to have a "persistent deployment" in the Indo-Pacific, according to recent defense and foreign policy reviews.

Experts believe this is more than "window dressing" and a genuine effort to support allies in the region and enforce freedom of navigation and promote democracy.

In late May, the recently built aircraft carrier Queen Elizabeth will leave Portsmouth and, after exercises in the Mediterranean Sea and Indian Ocean, will head a flotilla of mainly British ships, known collectively as the Carrier Strike Group, through the South China Sea, a strategically important waterway largely claimed by China but disputed by smaller regional nations.

Government documents published in March show the aim is for the Carrier Strike Group to make "episodic deployments" to the region.

In addition, offshore patrol vessels will routinely operate in the region with the support of partners.

And in 2023, Britain plans to send a Littoral Response Group, likely an amphibious assault ship complemented by a team of commandos, to the region and envisages deploying frigates later this decade, according to the proposals.

As well as enforcing freedom of navigation in the open seas and responding to threats, Britain's maritime presence could be used for training and emergency relief if needed, according to analysts.

Explaining this heightened engagement which has been described as an "Indo-Pacific tilt," Alessio Patalano, an expert in East Asian warfare and security at King's College, University of London, told Kyodo News, "Britain sees the international maritime rules-based order being challenged on a regular basis. This is an opportunity to make a statement about not accepting behavior that undermines the maritime order."

"The South China Sea is also essential to global trade and transportation. It is also about supporting important partners in the region like Japan, India, Australia and the United States. The message to China is, 'we are not here to antagonize and will not accept bullying.'"

In the 1970s, Britain reduced its footprint in the region but has, over the last few years, become more active with several ships enforcing sanctions against North Korea.

And due to its colonial past, Britain is a member of the Five Power Defense Arrangements along with Singapore, Malaysia, Australia and New Zealand.

This is an informal agreement to support one another in times of crisis but London intends to "make a bigger and more consistent contribution" to the arrangement, according to recent documents.

Britain would also like to deepen defense-industry relationships with countries like Japan and Australia.

Longer term, Patalano does not rule out the possibility Britain may seek to expand current bases in Singapore or Brunei or enter into agreements with countries like Japan to access their naval and logistical facilities.

The Royal Navy already has a base in Bahrain and this makes it much easier to sustain deployments far from home.

Nick Childs, senior fellow for naval forces and maritime security at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, told Kyodo News the new policy of "forward deployments" in the region marks a "step change" from the past, which tended to see only single ships traveling to the Indo-Pacific.

He said, "But the key will be whether the United Kingdom can sustain that range of planned presence and deployments, and also that these are part of a more comprehensive political and diplomatic engagement, if it is all to be effective and credible."

He said that although the British contribution represents a "relatively modest addition" for regional partners, it does offer "significant capabilities" including nuclear-powered submarines and advanced major warships.

Childs added that in the future the Carrier Strike Group could provide a "centerpiece" to a multinational formation for exercises.

Philip Shetler-Jones, an associate fellow in Indo-Pacific geopolitics at the London-based Council on Geostrategy think tank, described the "tilt" as "significant for our allies," adding, "It lets them know they do not have to face aggression alone. This should encourage them in their own efforts to reject an order where the strong simply do what they will and the weak suffer what they must."

Shetler-Jones, who closely follows the growing Anglo-Japanese security cooperation, told Kyodo News he envisages more joint maritime exercises and patrols in the future, involving more diverse roles and other nations.

However, he judges it unlikely Japan will join Britain in any patrols to challenge Chinese maritime claims in the South China Sea, for example, which he thinks the Royal Navy may be planning to do when it reaches the region later this year.

Speaking at a recent seminar, Robin Niblett, director and chief executive of the think tank Chatham House, said Britain's increased presence is designed to "signal" to China that the United States and allies "are going to be coherent in standing up to any acts that China may feel it has to, or wants to do, in the future. You can influence the calculus (in Beijing)."

He added the main purpose of the Indo-Pacific tilt is to protect democracy in the region.

The Carrier Strike Group will be made up of nine ships, including a U.S. destroyer and Dutch frigate. It is expected to conduct exercises with regional partners as well as gather local intelligence.

During the seven-month voyage, the group of ships is due to make several port visits including to Singapore and Japan.

According to reports, the Queen Elizabeth will not sail through the Taiwan Strait, the sensitive waterway separating Taiwan and China, much to the dismay of those parliamentarians who are hawkish on China and keen to show Britain is upholding freedom of navigation.

After years of courting Beijing under former Prime Minister David Cameron, Britain has increasingly taken a harder position toward China over human rights and the protection of critical infrastructure.

However, while pressing those concerns, the government maintains it must continue to trade with China.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
Mass exodus in Tehran as millions try to flee following Trump’s evacuation order
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
Iran Conducts Ballistic Missile Launches Amid Heightened Tensions with Israel
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
Shock Within Iran’s Leadership: Khamenei’s Failed Plan to Launch 1,000 Missiles Against Israel
UK Deploys Jets to Middle East Amid Rising Tensions
Exiled Iranian Prince Reza Pahlavi Urges Overthrow of Khamenei Regime
Wreck of $17 Billion San José Galleon Identified Off Colombia After 300 Years
Iran Launches Extensive Missile Attack on Israel Following Israeli Strikes on Nuclear Sites
Israel Issues Ultimatum to Iran Over Potential Retaliation and Nuclear Facilities
Coinbase CEO Warns Bitcoin Could Supplant US Dollar Amid Mounting National Debt
Trump to Iran: Make a Deal — Sign or Die
Operation "Like a Lion": Israel Strikes Iran in Unprecedented Offensive
Israel Launches 'Operation Rising Lion' Targeting Iranian Nuclear and Military Sites
Israeli Forces Intercept Gaza-Bound Aid Vessel Carrying Greta Thunberg
IMF Warns of Severe Global Trade War Impacts on Emerging Markets
Syria to Reconnect to Global Economy After 14 Years of Isolation
Saudi Arabia Faces Uncertainty Over Succession After Mohammed bin Salman
Israel Confirms Arming Gaza Clan to Counter Hamas Influence
Majority of French Voters View Macron's Presidency as a Failure
U.S. Reduces Military Presence in Syria
Trump Demands Iran End All Uranium Enrichment in Nuclear Talks
Iran Warns Europe Against Politicizing UN Nuclear Report
Businessman Mauled by Lion at Luxury Namibian Lodge
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
Head of Gaza Aid Group Resigns Amid Humanitarian Concerns
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
×