It was almost 20 years ago that Japan’s then-Prime Minister Abe Shinzo articulated the importance of the Indo-Pacific, a region at the confluence of the world’s two biggest oceans. Abe later advocated for a “free and open” Indo-Pacific where the rules-based international order is upheld.
The U.K.’s approach, set out in our National Security Strategy, echoes this vision – and goes further to say that Euro-Atlantic security and prosperity depends on a free and open Indo-Pacific. As Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in Tokyo last month, the impacts of global events are increasingly felt in British people’s lives – so we must deepen our resilience, our power, and our partnerships to better serve the public.
When I was appointed the U.K.’s Minister for the Indo-Pacific, I understood the significance of taking on responsibility for such a vast and diverse part of the world – home to 60 percent of the world’s population, with strong history and connections to the U.K., including extensive diaspora communities.
But I also knew it would be a challenge we must address, shaping U.K. policy on a region that sits at the heart of the great geopolitical shift of our time – one in which we are building and reinforcing partnerships for the long-term.
The numbers speak for themselves. At the turn of the millennium, the Indo-Pacific contributed just over a quarter of global GDP, according to figures from the Asian Development Bank. The region’s share now stands at 40 percent, representing growth on an unprecedented scale.
So, if the U.K. is to grow, we must engage. We are clear-eyed about the geopolitical reality that is taking shape, and which will define the rest of this century. We are operating in a world increasingly shaped by three major economic giants: the U.S., the EU, and China.
In this multipolar world, Britain’s answer cannot be to go all in with one bloc or retreat from engagement. Instead, we must work flexibly – sometimes through multilateral systems like the U.N., sometimes through smaller coalitions or individual partners – with a pragmatic foreign policy that is rooted in our progressive values.
In January, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer became the first U.K. prime minister to visit China in eight years. The visit shows what can be achieved by consistent, long-term, and pragmatic engagement. We have agreed to increase access for world-leading U.K. services firms to expand into the Chinese market. China has relaxed rules on visa-free travel for U.K. workers and tourists. These are positive, practical steps that will make British people and businesses better off.
All of this does not mean that we will shy away from taking decisions in our national interest or challenging the Chinese government where its actions pose a threat to U.K. security.
We will continue to stand firm on human rights. We will continue to challenge dangerous and intimidating activity in the South China Sea. And we will use all available measures to keep the U.K. safe in the face of threats like malicious cyber activity or espionage.
The U.K. also continues to invest in partnerships across the Indo-Pacific. This year we celebrate five years of Dialogue Partnership with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, which since its founding has been an anchor of peace and stability in the region. We have made momentous strides under our U.K.-ASEAN Plan of Action, deepening cooperation in areas from global health and clean energy to AI safety and innovation. It is thanks to our renewed relationships with ASEAN members that U.K.-ASEAN trade grew by around 20 percent in the year to September 2025.
These are partnerships in practice, not just in theory. We elevated our relationship with Vietnam in October 2025 and welcomed President Prabowo Subianto to London to launch the U.K.-Indonesia Strategic Partnership in January this year. Meeting ASEAN Secretary General Dr Kao Kim Hourn in London in February, I renewed our commitment to deepen cooperation over the next five years, building on U.K. support for ASEAN’s economic integration and sustainable growth. This week I am visiting the Philippines, this year’s ASEAN Chair, to take forward this work.
There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to diplomacy. That’s why, across the Indo-Pacific, we are building innovative partnerships that will serve our shared interests for the long term. Visiting India in November, I met U.K. companies excited to seize new opportunities under our free trade agreement, set to boost trade by more than 25 billion pounds in the long term.
Visiting Japan in December I celebrated the first anniversary of the U.K. joining the CPTPP, a bloc already accounting for over 15 percent of global GDP, which others including Indonesia and the Philippines have applied to join. The U.K. is a keen supporter of CPTPP expansion and of its wider role in promoting rules-based trade and an open global economy including through the CPTPP-EU and CPTPP-ASEAN dialogues.
In November 1945, Clement Attlee reminded us in his Mansion House address that “we cannot build a heaven at home” if there is unrest and instability outside. He spoke at a time that demanded ambitious international partnership. Our era is different, but the principle remains true.
It is through our international partnerships that the U.K. will thrive. In the Indo-Pacific, we are using different partnerships for different challenges – pragmatic foreign policy based on shared interests and grounded in our progressive values. That is exactly what I am working to build as Minister for the Indo-Pacific: modern partnerships abroad that will make us more secure at home.
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