London
Underlining the importance of the Indo-Pacific region, British foreign secretary Liz Truss has said that the UK and its partner countries need to pre-empt threats in the region to ensure that democracies like Taiwan are able to defend themselves.
“I mean that NATO must have a global outlook, ready to tackle global threats,” Truss said in a speech on UK’s foreign policy on Wednesday night.
“We need to pre-empt threats in the Indo-Pacific, working with our allies like Japan and Australia to ensure the Pacific is protected. And we must ensure that democracies like Taiwan are able to defend themselves,” she added.
She said the Boris Johnson government “are correcting a generation of underinvestment.”
“That’s why the Prime Minister has announced the biggest investment in our Armed Forces since the Cold War. We recognised Russia as the most acute threat in our Integrated Review, adopting the same vigilance as NATO’s Eastern Allies,” Truss said.
According to Politico, the British foreign secretary’s speech echoes a message issued by the UK PM security conference in Germany in February.
Truss’ remarks come as NATO members are discussing the alliance’s new “strategic concept,” which outlines the bloc’s mission. This is due to be agreed upon at the next summit in Madrid later this year.
This summit will come in the backdrop of longing discussion among the NATO members on security threats posed by China in the Indo-Pacific.
