The UK is ready to make “investments of faith” with Latin American, Asian and African countries to form long-lasting partnerships, the Foreign Secretary is expected to say in his first major speech.
James Cleverly will use a speech in central London to argue that the country must align with a crop of increasingly influential countries across Latin America, Asia and Africa, including with states not seen as “traditional partners” of the UK.
In a speech to be delivered from the Foreign Office on Monday, Mr Cleverly will argue for long-term partnerships spanning trade, development, defence, cyber security and climate change.
These efforts will be backed up, the Foreign Secretary will note, by British development finance and G7 funding streams.
The speech comes amid the backdrop of the war in Ukraine and ongoing efforts by the West to navigate its relationship with China.
But it is expected to focus largely on the future and the need to retain UK influence in the decades ahead by forming links with soon-to-be influential states.
Mr Cleverly is expected to say: “In the coming decades, an ever greater share of the world economy – and therefore of world power – will be in the hands of nations in Asia, Africa and Latin America.
“The UK offer will be tailored to their needs and UK strengths, spanning trade, investment, development, defence, technology and climate change.
“This will be backed-up with a reliable source of infrastructure investment. So I’m determined that we will make investments of faith in the countries that will shape the world’s future.
The speech comes about two weeks after Rishi Sunak promised to set a new direction in UK foreign policy, telling an audience in London that while the “golden era” of relations with China was over his administration would follow an approach of “robust pragmatism” in standing up to global competitors.
Mr Cleverly, who became Foreign Secretary in September and retained the role after the resignation of Liz Truss, is expected to mention China in his speech but will largely focus on ties with countries seen as future powers on the world’s stage.
He will say: “We will show strategic endurance, willing to commit for the long term.
“I want our foreign policy to be constantly planning for tomorrow, scanning the horizon, looking 10, 15 and 20 years ahead.”
