The Stability of the U.K.’s Involvement in the Indo-Pacific from the Perspective of Consensus Politics and Foreign Policy

Abstract

The U.K. has been prominently involved in the Indo-Pacifi c in recent years. Despite being located far away geographically, the U.K. has a significant “tilt” towards the region based on its “Global Britain” initiative that aims to preserve the U.K.’s international influence following Brexit. The tension in the U.S.-China relations and the shift in Europe’s position towards China have also influenced the U.K.’s strategy. European countries, including the U.K., are currently developing their Indo-Pacific policies. However, the U.K.’s involvement in the Indo-Pacific is not secured by a large population, territory, or exclusive economic zone. Unlike other European countries, the U.K. has not formulated strategic policy documents specific to the Indo-Pacific yet. Therefore, the stability of the U.K.’s involvement in the Indo-Pacific remains questionable. This paper analyses the stability of the U.K.’s involvement in the Indo-Pacific and examines domestic consensus and foreign policy in the U.K.