London Daily

Focus on the big picture.

UK and Australia launch pact against Chinese economic ‘coercion’

UK and Australia launch pact against Chinese economic ‘coercion’

Move will be seen as an attempt to counter pressure placed on companies by Beijing to toe the line.

The U.K. and Australia are teaming up to tackle economic “coercion” by a small number of countries including China.

Top ministers from both governments announced Thursday that their officials will start a new “economic security dialogue” to tackle growing challenges in the Indo-Pacific, keep global supply chains diverse and address the risk of economic “coercion” by hostile nations.

The move is part of the West’s response to pressure applied by Beijing to prominent overseas companies or sectors in a bid to prevent them from making public statements on sensitive issues or to gain their support for China’s policies.

The announcement came at the end of a two-day visit to London by Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Richard Marles and its Foreign Minister Penny Wong. The pair met their British counterparts Ben Wallace and James Cleverly — a format known as “Aukmin.”

“It is important that we recognize that, sadly, the rules-based order is under threat like never before, human rights are being threatened by a range of characters around the world and people are testing the sovereignty of nation states in a way that should worry us all,” Wallace told a press conference in Portsmouth, south England.

In a joint statement issued Thursday, the four ministers stressed their “strong opposition to any coercion or destabilizing actions in the South China Sea,” where China is increasing its military presence.

Amid heightened tensions between China and Taiwan, the U.K. and Australian ministers highlighted the importance of “peace and stability” across the Taiwan Strait, a critical waterway for global supply chains, and their shared opposition to “unilateral changes to the status quo.”

Britain and Australia are close defense partners, and members of the three-way AUKUS pact with the U.S. since September 2021 aimed at providing nuclear-powered submarines and other cutting-edge defense equipment to Australia. Canberra is expected to decide whether those subs will be built by the U.S., the U.K. or a combination of both early in the spring.

Marles told the press conference the AUKUS submarine plan was “a huge moment” in Australia’s history.

“This will change Australia’s international personality, it will dramatically build our capability, and with that, our sovereignty,” he said.

The U.K. and Australia will also carry out a comprehensive refresh of their 2013 bilateral Defense and Security Cooperation Treaty.

Two British warships are permanently stationed in the Pacific, “and there will be more of that to come,” Wallace said.


Colonial baggage


Cleverly also responded to calls by Wong for Britain to acknowledge its “uncomfortable” colonial past as it engages in a so-called “tilt” to the Indo-Pacific.

Cleverly said Britain has a duty to show its relationship with former colonies such as Australia is a “partnership of equals.”

“I think it is incumbent upon the U.K., in our dealings with Australia or any other country with which we were once a colonial power, to recognize that we need to demonstrate that this is a modern partnership, a partnership of equals — different but equal, geographically separated but emotionally and historically bound,” Cleverly said.

Wong had evoked her father’s Hakka and Cantonese Chinese background in her Tuesday address, recalling how many people including her own grandmother had worked as “domestic servants for British colonialists.” She warned the U.K. won’t be able to build strong ties with the region if remained “sheltered in narrower versions” of its history.

Cleverly insisted there was “no tension, no awkwardness” in his first face-to-face bilateral meeting with Wong, and stressed that the visit had “reinforced what is a very long-standing, very intimate bilateral relationship which is embedded in so much shared history.”

“You cannot eradicate or erase your history — so you need to be conscious of it,” Cleverly said.

Sophia Gaston, head of foreign policy and U.K. resilience at the Policy Exchange think tank, said Britain still has “much to learn” from Australia’s experience in its own neighborhood.

“The capacity to interrogate our history is a key strength of modern democracies such as ours, and should be embraced frankly and fearlessly,” she said.

“Far from engaging in a project of colonialist nostalgia, as some have interpreted the ‘tilt’, Britain’s recent engagement in the region has shown sensitivity and cultural understanding, with an emphasis on being a constructive and committed partner.”

Newsletter

Related Articles

London Daily
0:00
0:00
Close
UK Maintains Non-negotiable Stance on Falklands and Gibraltar
Controversy Surrounds A75 Road Closures and 96-Mile Diversion
Crunch Time in Conservative Leadership Race
Keir Starmer's Challenges in the Wake of Sue Gray's Departure
Coroner Urges UK Government to Improve Severe ME Care
Starmer Calls for De-escalation in Middle East Amid Heightened Tensions
Chancellor Reeves Decides Against Pension Tax Hike
UK Advocates Urge Tobacco Windfall Tax and Permanent Levy
Starmer's Chief of Staff Plans Major Overhaul at Downing Street
Key Labour Thinktank Advocates New Powers for Mayors
Rachel Reeves Considers New Fiscal Rules for Infrastructure Spending
Great Britain Faces Lowest Winter Blackout Risk in Four Years
The Impact of Online Culture on Young Women: Survey Insights
Hypersonic Jet to Revolutionize Air Travel
Russian Medic Arrested for Alleged Satanism and Promoting LGBTQ Rights
UK: Chagos Islands Deal Was About Securing US Military Base
RT has converted key archive speeches delivered by Putin into spoken English using the help of AI
Walmart is now selling a new book titled The Achievements of Kamala Harris—and all the pages are blank.
Bill Gates: "6% of global emissions are cows... You can either fix the cows to stop them farting, or you can make beef without the cow."
Facilitated Communication: Miracle Tool or Manipulative Method?
The Allure of Browsing Online Property Portals: A Modern Obsession
Suspected Acid Attacker in London Bailed Amid Investigation
Tragic Channel Crossing: Four Migrants Killed
Labour Cabinet Ministers' Stances on Assisted Dying
The Influence of Tory Members on Party Leadership
UK Plans Major Overhaul of Employment Rights
UK Food Industry Lobbying Delays £1.7 Billion Plastic Packaging Tax
New UK Tipping Law Sparks Confusion Among Restaurant Staff
Debate Heats Up Over Assisted Dying Legislation in the UK
New Personalized Cancer Therapies Undergo Extensive Clinical Study
UAE Energy Minister: OPEC+ Doing a 'Noble' Job in Balancing Oil Market
Call for Wealth Tax Hikes to Curb Reform UK's Rise
Labour MP Supports Chancellor's Rejection of Wealth Tax
Debate Intensifies Over VAT Introduction for UK Private Schools
Israel Plans Retaliation Against Iran Amid Rising Regional Tensions
Norwegian Police Conclude 'Spy Whale' Hvaldimir's Death Due to Infection
Dominica Sells Citizenship to Boost Climate Resilience
Greta Thunberg Detained in Brussels During Protest Against Fossil Fuel Subsidies
UK Returns Chagos Islands to Mauritius After Decades-Long Dispute
UK Reaffirms Commitment to Overseas Territories Amid Falkland Islands Dispute
France's Silent March Supports Gisèle Pelicot: A Shocking Case
Robert Jenrick's Leadership Prospects: Challenges from the Right
Declining Interest in Grammar Schools Amid VAT Concerns
Emirates Bans Pagers and Walkie-Talkies on All Flights
Malaysian Father Burns Son's Motorbike to Prevent Racing Accidents
Donald Trump Urges Israel to Hit Iran's Nuclear Facilities First
Private Schools Face Enrollment Decline Due to Impending VAT on Fees
Wetherspoon’s CEO Criticizes Smaller Beer Glass Proposal and Licensing Hour Reduction
Starmer Defends UK Chagos Islands Decision Amidst Tory Criticism
Naomi Campbell Banned from Charity Work After Fashion for Relief Mismanagement
×