British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss spoke at Australia's Lowy Institute on January 21 when she discussed
countering China. In a speech that contained 8 mentions of China, and 3 mentions of Beijing she said "Russia
and China are working together more and more, as they strive to set the standards in technologies like
artificial intelligence, assert their dominance over the Western Pacific through joint military exercises and in
space through closer ties. It is no surprise that regimes like Belarus, North Korea or Myanmar find their
closest allies in Moscow and Beijing. They don’t look to these nations as partners but as puppets. Moscow
wants them to promote their propaganda and destabilise free democracies on their doorstep. At the same time,
Beijing has forged a so-called “iron brotherhood” with Belarus. China is the biggest buyer of Iranian oil and
Pyongyang’s largest trading partner. China and Russia have spotted an ideological vacuum and they’re
rushing to fill it. They are emboldened in a way we haven’t seen since the Cold War. ... They’re destabilising
the rules-based international order and they’re chipping away at the values that underpin it. But they have
nothing to offer in its place. The free world is different. We’re not defined by what we’re against but by what
we’re for." She made three suggestions as to how Global Britain, Australia and ‘freedom loving democracies’
can counter China. She said: First, we will stand up for our economic security. That means calling out China
when it blocks products from Lithuania or imposes punitive tariffs on Australian barley and wine. We’re also
working together to provide low and middle income countries with honest and reliable alternative sources of
investment. (She said in November, she launched British International Investment, helping to mobilise up to
£8 billion a year of public and private financing to these countries by 2025, leveraging the firepower of the
City of London.). Second, freedom must be defended and that’s why we are deepening our security ties. She
recalled that last year the two countries finalised their landmark AUKUS partnership thereby "opening a bold
new era" in their "long history together". She added "By joining forces with the US we are showing our
determination to protect security and stability across the region. We are helping Australia acquire a nuclear
powered submarine, and also means deeper cooperation between our three nations on advanced capabilities
like cyber, AI and quantum. We want to use this deeper expertise to help support stability with partners right
across the Indo Pacific" She mentioned that she looked forward tomorrow to visiting the shipyard in Adelaide,
where the UK and Australia are building new Type 26 Frigates and said Adelaide will of course play an
important role in developing the new AUKUS submarines". She also said "technology has empowered people
by enabling incredible freedom, but we know it can be seized upon by others to promote fear. We cannot
allow the technologies of the future to be hijacked for malign ends – whether it’s cyber attacks, or building
high-tech surveillance states through facial recognition software and AI. Global technology standards must
be shaped by the free world".
|
