UK to boost its defence for 'persistent global engagement' amid threats from Russia, China

Amid the growing threats of China and Russia, the UK has decided to enhance its abilities as a part of a foreign, security and defence policy review that will be conducted by the British government. UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said on July 25 that this week, the government has been alerted by the threat Russia poses to UK’s national security with “provocative test” of “weapon-like” projectile and China with its development of "offensive space weapons". While writing in The Sunday Telegraph, Wallace noted that both nations are slowly boosting their capabilities, therefore, the UK government has decided to conduct a review. 

The review, Ben Wallace elaborated, would emerge from the UK’s Ministry of Defence and will be more inclined towards a threat-lead organisation. It would be “pivoting away” from what Britain was used to in recent decades and will be reshaped to boost its operations in the latest domains of space, cyber and sub-sea. The UK Defence minister called it “next-generation Defence” with its forces being “prepared for persistent global engagement”.

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UK's tensions with Russia, China

This comes in the backdrop of tensions between the nations. The UK not only called out China on its controversial law in Hong Kong that according to London, undermines the freedom of the former British colony. In the wake of same national security law, the UK would suspend its extradition treaty with Hong Kong. 

Furthermore, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson also ordered the removal of the Chinese tech giant Huawei’s involvement in country’s 5G networks and announced that its technologies would be completely purged by the end of 2027. This triggered an angered response from the Asian superpower who accused Britain of pandering the United States, that is already attempting to corner China. 

Meanwhile, the tensions between Britain and Russia are also escalating in recent weeks. The UK has not only targetted Russians with new sanctions but also accused the latter’s actors of meddling in Britain’s elections. London has also said that Moscow attempted to hack into UK’s COVID-19 vaccine research. 

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