Russia an ‘acute’ threat, China an ‘epoch defining’ challenge: U.K. Government

While Russia and Europe remain its top priorities, the Indo-Pacific is listed as second on the list of geographic priorities.

The U.K. government called Russia the “most acute threat” to Britain’s security and termed China an “epoch-defining” challenge , as it released a ‘ refresh’ of its foreign and security policy , the Integrated Review 2023 (IR2023), two years after the first version (IR2021) was released.

On India, the strategy continues themes set out in 2021, developing the 2030 Roadmap between the two countries and working towards a free trade agreement (FTA).

Initiated by the Liz Truss government, the updated document says the Euro-Atlantic remains the U.K.’s “overriding” geographic priority and calls the threat from Russia the “most pressing” foreign policy and national security priority. It sets an objective of denying Russia “any strategic benefit” from invading Ukraine, pledging another GBP 5 billion in arms over the next two years, including toward nuclear facilities and submarines.

This announcement comes as Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is in San Diego finalising the next phase of a security partnership, ‘AUKUS’ , with the U.S. and Australia, to provide Australia with nuclear-powered submarines. The U.K. government also committed to investing 2.5% of GDP in defence, above the 2% NATO target.

While Russia and Europe remain its top priorities, the Indo-Pacific is listed as second on the list of geographic priorities. To this end , the U.K. seeks to go beyond IR2021 and prioritise partnerships in the Euro-Atlantic as well as Indo-Pacific. It will also prioritise working with countries and groups that have Indo-Pacific strategies themselves, such as India, the U.S., France, Japan, South Korea, Germany, ASEAN and the E.U.

“China under the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) poses an epoch-defining and systemic challenge with implications for almost every area of government policy and the everyday lives of British people,” IR2023 says, and the government announced increased funding toward its China program.