- Strengthened ties with Southeast Asia open up new trade and
security opportunities to create jobs and boost growth in the UK
- Free and open Indo-Pacific central to Plan for Change –
delivering growth and opportunities for British businesses across
the country.
- UK to participate in ASEAN Regional Forum for first time – an
important forum for security dialogue with one of the fastest
growing regional economies
Britain will deepen relations with countries across the
Indo-Pacific to bring together UK and Southeast Asian innovation
and technology to drive economic growth and create new business
opportunities at key meetings in Malaysia today (Friday 11
July).
Stepping up cooperation with the Association of Southeast Asian
Nations (ASEAN) on regional security, the visit will see the
Foreign Secretary participate in the region's main security
forum– the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) - for the first time as
Guest of Chair. The UK aims to become a permanent member of the
ARF, in recognition of the fact that the greatest threats to
ASEAN's security also impact UK national security, from
instability driven by climate change to risk of conflict.
These strengthened security ties demonstrate the government's
Plan for Change in practice - delivering on the commitment to
strengthen national security for working people.
The UK will also strengthen cooperation with ASEAN nations to
tackle transnational crime including scam centres, illicit
finance and illegal migration – protecting our citizens from
criminals and the shared threats we face. This builds on the
ASEAN-UK Plan of Action as we approach the fifth anniversary of
our Dialogue Partnership.
Secure and resilient growth depends on working with Indo-Pacific
partners to preserve a stable balance of power, manage conflicts
and protect our people from threats such as cyber scams and
illicit finance. Strengthening our cooperation builds on recent
success in strengthening ties with key allies and partners, and
ensuring the UK's national security.
Foreign Secretary, , said:
"There is enormous economic potential in the Indo-Pacific
with over 50% of the world's population people worth over 40% of
global GDP. This government is breaking down barriers between
businesses in the UK and Southeast Asia to tap into this
market.
“We are working together to tackle key threats to our mutual
prosperity – illegal migration, illicit finance and scam centres.
Engaging with our partners on these enemies of growth protects
our people and their hard-earned money.
“We want to work with partners like Singapore to seize the
benefits of AI and technology and manage the risks - supporting
the delivery of the ASEAN Community's Vision 2045 and the UK's
Plan for Change.”
Southeast Asia is already the fifth largest economy in the world,
home to almost 700 million people, half of whom are under 30. The
UK's accession last December to CPTPP, one of the world's biggest
trade blocs, marked a breakthrough in connecting the UK to a
group of economies now worth £11.7 trillion, putting money into
UK businesses up and down the country.
On top of attending the ASEAN Foreign Ministerial Meeting in
Kuala Lumpur, the Foreign Secretary will also meet the Malaysian
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan
to reinforce the shared ambition to elevate the relationship
between the UK and Malaysia to a Strategic Partnership,
particularly in the areas of education, energy, defence and trade
which will help generate growth.
Investment into clean, renewable energy will reduce British
people's energy bills and enshrine climate resilience and energy
security. Catalysing the clean energy transformation, the Foreign
Secretary, alongside Deputy Prime Minister Gan, will announce a
landmark pledge of up to £70 million into Singapore's Financing
Asia's Transition Partnership (FAST-P), advancing the UK and
Singapore's joint efforts to accelerate sustainable
infrastructure and investment across Southeast Asia. The
UK's funding, to be delivered through British Investment
International's (BII), will support low-carbon energy projects
and innovative business models, protecting energy security and
insulating UK billpayers.
