The Royal Navy will expand its presence in the Pacific Ocean, Sir Keir Starmer has said, in a move to counter China’s growing influence.
The prime minister has laid out plans for a greater naval presence in the Pacific as he prepares to end his visit to Samoa for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (Chogm) on Saturday.
As he met with his Singaporean counterpart, Sir Keir said the UK’s foreign policy cannot just be dealing with challenges close to home, but also helping to tackle the problems faced by allies further afield.
The larger naval presence will include more joint patrols across the world’s largest ocean to reinforce the security of its small island nations, respond to natural disasters and combat illegal fishing.
The patrols play into a strategy adopted by the UK in recent years called the “Indo-Pacific tilt”, which is aimed at countering the growing influence of China and ensuring the West has a widespread presence in the region.
“My visit to the Pacific this week has only reinforced how important this part of the world is to the United Kingdom’s prosperity and security, and I know across business, trade and defence, we play a vital role in supporting the region too,” Sir Keir said.
He added: “As responsible international players, we cannot turn a blind eye to the challenges faced by our friends and partners on the other side of the world, so my message today is clear: this is just the beginning of our commitment to the Indo-Pacific.
“Combining expertise, local knowledge and investment, I truly believe we can create unique opportunities for people both in the Pacific and at home, and in doing so, we play our part in ensuring a safer, fairer world.”
The Royal Navy has recently run its first-ever counter illegal fishing patrols in the Pacific alongside New Zealand and Fiji.
Gimme five!
— Royal Navy (@RoyalNavy) October 24, 2024
The five being members of the #FPDA: UK, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and Malaysia. 🇬🇧🇦🇺🇳🇿🇸🇬🇲🇾
Their military forces combined for Ex Bersama Lima ('Five Together') with @HMS_Spey representing the RN.
🔗 https://t.co/Mqfc2aU3WU pic.twitter.com/lIarHU8qBl
It now plans to extend this offer to other Pacific island countries to help them protect maritime routes and their economies.
The UK has two patrol vessels persistently deployed in the Indo-Pacific, including HMS Tamar, which has been providing security support at Chogm.
The prime minister met with the crew of the Tamar on Friday and heard about their role in responding to a mayday call from the Royal New Zealand Navy ship HMNZS Manawanui, which sank after running aground on a reef earlier in October.
On Saturday, the prime minister met Singapore’s prime minister Lawrence Wong, following the defence secretary John Healey hosting his Singaporean counterpart in London on Thursday.
Following the face-to-face meeting, the two leaders announced that as part of the UK’s Carrier Strike Group deployment to the Indo-Pacific in 2025, HMS Prince of Wales will visit Singapore in a bid to strengthen defence ties.
Meanwhile, the UK plans to expand its economic reach into the Pacific region with a new “Pacific Business Club” alongside the Australian government.
Britain will also provide extra cash to an initiative aimed at protecting the small islands in the ocean from the impact of climate change.
