2022 Year in Review

Former US President Donald Trump
and his brand of American
isolationism and protectionism
upended the Atlantic pillar of security
the UK dearly relied on. Britain has
also been caught off guard with
Russia’s opportunistic aggression in
Ukraine. Rounding up these pressing
issues is the British indecisiveness
over whether China’s role is one of a
security threat or an economic lifeline.
Overall since 2016, whoever occupied
the tenancy at Whitehall has been in
damage control addressing the above
mentioned issues – acting in damage
control mode – rather than
strategising and formulating a longterm
foreign policy direction in this
increasingly turbulent world.
That is not to say the prime minister
of the day fully neglected foreign
policy. There have been shifts in this
sphere, with Britain concluding the
controversial trade negotiations with
Australia and Japan. The UK has also
demonstrated its willingness to
engage in the Indo-Pacific region’s
security further through the AUKUS
pact and the recent UK-Japan
Reciprocal Access Agreement with
Tokyo. But these agreements and
negotiations clearly have taken a back
seat compared to acute domestic and
economic issues.
A GLOBAL BRITAIN
As part of the post-Brexit “freedom”,
the UK is no longer tethered to
Brussels’ foreign policy. In March
2021, London released its ‘Integrated
Review’ of its engagement with the
world – particularly addressing the
Indo-Pacific – titled ‘Global Britain’.
This vision was first championed by
many political Brexit supporters as a
shibboleth, but has since morphed to
involve a cosmopolitan, outwardlooking
UK aiming to re-engage with
the world. Global Britain
encompasses heavy investment in
several notable sectors, including the
UK’s armed forces, trade, political and
diplomatic ties, and science and
technology fields.
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