“Our adversaries and our competitors (China and Russia) have a long-term strategy. Faced with these challenges, a short-term approach is not enough. This means being stronger to defend our values”. Thus the British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in a passage of the keynote address on foreign policy that he will give today in Guidhall, the historic building in the City of London, of which Downing Street has already anticipated excerpts.
The prime minister during his speech – in front of diplomats and representatives of the world of finance – he will insist that in the face of the ambitions of China and Russia, the UK must defend a long-term vision. And this will be based on the revival of relations between the UK and Europe, damaged by Brexit.
But to have a voice heard on the international scene – according to Downing Street – iThe UK must also have “a stronger economy”. A rather complicated objective in a difficult moment for the country which is facing an economic and social crisis.
Sunak will also point out how London is currently reviewing its doctrine on security, defense and foreign policy to adapt to the new geopolitical context marked in particular by the war in Ukraine (to which he will once again reaffirm his country’s support), by the escalation of tensions with Iran or with China.
Last summer, during his campaign for Downing Street, which he lost to Liz Truss, who remained in power for just over a month, Rishi Sunak called the Asian giant the “biggest security threat” to the world and the UK. In mid-November at the last G20, however, he had asked for “a frank and constructive relationship between London and Beijing”, relations between which have been tense in recent years.
