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UK’s Indo-Pacific tilt about managing challenges, taking advantage of opportunities in region: Dominic Raab
In an interaction with a small group of Indian reporters, Raab said the UK was acting to address “as swiftly as possible” the outstanding legal issues that have held up the extradition of fugitive businessman Vijay Mallya
The UK’s planned “Indo-Pacific tilt” is as much about managing the challenges and pressures arising from China’s assertive actions as it is about taking advantage of opportunities across the region, British foreign secretary Dominic Raab said on Wednesday.
Raab, who held talks with his Indian counterpart S Jaishankar on Tuesday on a 10-year road map for bilateral ties and a free trade deal, also said he raised the farmers’ protest in Delhi in view of the strong connect between the politics of the two countries given the Indian diaspora in Britain.
In an interaction with a small group of Indian reporters, Raab said the UK was acting to address “as swiftly as possible” the outstanding legal issues that have held up the extradition of fugitive businessman Vijay Mallya.
The UK’s integrated defence and foreign policy review, set to be published in early 2021, is expected to outline the “Indo-Pacific tilt”, and Raab said the rise of China juxtaposed with the growth of economies in Southeast Asia and the Far East present both challenges and opportunities.
“Actually, that’s all part of the Indo-Pacific tilt, which is to be more engaged in grasping the opportunities but also more engaged in managing some of the challenges and the pressures,” he said in response to a question on China’s belligerent actions, including the miliary standoff with India along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
“Obviously, there is the rise of China and the position of China, and the opportunities but also the risks it presents,” he said.
India and the UK, Raab said, can cooperate on issues such as cyber-security and countering disinformation. The UK has also inked free trade deals with Japan, Vietnam and South Korea and applied to join the Association of Southeast Asian Nations as a dialogue partner as part of its wider trade and investment engagement with the Indo-Pacific.
Against the backdrop of Indian-origin British MPs asking the UK government to raise the farmers’ protest with New Delhi, Raab said he had discussed the issue with Jaishankar.
“Obviously, we respect the fact that the reforms going through your system here are domestic reforms. Of course, they’ve elicited the protests that you refer to, and your politics, in some sense because of the Indian diaspora in Britain, is our politics,” he said.
“But I think India, as well as having a market-driven economy, also has a vibrant heritage of peaceful protests and vigorous debate and we watch that with interest and we respect it.”
Asked about the delay in the extradition of Mallya, Raab declined to specify whether the matter had figured during his meetings in New Delhi but said the two sides always had discussions on “issues of concern”. He added: “We’ve made it clear that in those cases, there’s still some legal issues outstanding. Obviously, they’re independent from politics or political intervention, but we would like to see those expedited as swiftly as possible.”
The UK earlier said a “confidential” legal issue was holding up Mallya’s extradition. Britain’s stance gave rise to speculation tht the 64-year-old businessman, wanted in India to face charges of financial irregularities, could have applied for asylum in the UK.
Raab also said Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s visit in January to join the Republic Day celebrations as chief guest will help drive cooperation on the Covid-19 crisis, trade, maritime issues and climate change. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be invited to both the G7 leaders’ summit and the United Nations Climate Change Conference to be hosted by the UK in 2021, he said.
