British aircraft carriers bound for Asia

The HMS Queen Elizabeth carrier group includes the Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier and escort warships – Photo: Royal Navy

British warships will practice joint exercises with the United States, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force near Chinese entities making a claim.

Britain’s arrival of the Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier in Asia was a well thought out move, one of the indicators that London is living up to the motto “Global Britain”, defining the future of the country. Queen Brexit will be out of Europe.

There are three reasons why Britain tends to increase its naval presence in the region. First, the assessment of the UK’s defense security strategy of 2015 said that an eroded international order based on law would be one of the top four threats to the security of British defense.

Also according to this assessment, the Asia-Pacific region has an extremely important influence on the future and stability of the international law-based order. Therefore, a greater presence in the region is essential.

Second is the impact of Brexit. Britain’s post-Brexit vision is no longer associated with just Europe, but a global vision through the slogan “Global Britain”. In terms of security, the UK needs to strengthen its security and defense networks abroad, strengthen existing relations, and especially protect the international order based on international law. Ensuring freedom of navigation and overflight is one of the pillars of this policy.

Third, the United States, Britain’s most important ally, has also called for the participation of other nations to increase the guarantee of freedom of navigation in the region. “Global Britain” required Britain to “act in response to countries that ignore the law”, as well as “to improve the international legal system through which the prosperity and security of Great Britain are guaranteed.” he said. “The deployment of the Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier is a step to confirm the above claims.

Without exclusion, Britain would establish a permanent naval presence in the region, whether in Brunei, Singapore or Japan. The latter possibility seems more feasible, as the three countries, the US, Japan and the UK, declare increasing cooperation to maintain order based on international law.

However, there were two issues that led to some doubts about the claim that Britain would have a permanent presence in Asia. The first has to do with financial matters. Is the biggest headache still that the post-Brexit UK has the financial resources to maintain a permanent naval presence in the region?

The second is China. After the event that the HMS Albion vessel challenged the Chinese claim in Vietnam’s Paracel Islands in 2018, Beijing leaders and officials warned Britain not to partner with the US to harm Chinese interests Emphasize similar behaviors in the future as aggressive behavior.

The trade relationship between the two parties is important for a post-Brexit UK, especially when the UK and China are negotiating to establish a bilateral free trade agreement. London will obviously have to calculate its naval deployments in East Asia, as they could fully influence Britain’s long-term economic interests.