Britain’s naval expansion in the Indo-Pacific will anger China, and accomplish little else

Britain is busy building up its own “string of pearls” in the Indo-Pacific region. It is more limited in scale and scope than that of China, but has enough substance to anger Beijing, which is bolstering its naval footprint in the China seas and the Indian Ocean, and is sensitive to any initiative that could challenge its strategic interests in this vast area. Not least, if it comes from a non-regional actor.

The UK opened a new permanent naval base at Mina Salman port, Bahrain, last week. This support facility will become the Royal Navy’s hub in the Middle East, but also a “launch pad” for operations from the Persian Gulf to the Pacific Rim.

British Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said the Bahrain outpost will boost Britain’s global standing. London is negotiating Brexit, its exit from the European Union, and aims to expand the presence of its naval fleet in all maritime domains. That means its navy will operate in the Indo-Pacific to foster a rules-based regional order, protect one of the world’s busiest shipping routes and “encourage” allies and friends to buy future British Type 26 and 31 frigates.

But the underlying focus of the UK’s deployment in the Indian Ocean and Pacific waters is to deal with China’s rise. “China is pushing for superpower status, restructuring the People’s Liberation Army, pushing towards the Indian Ocean and employing ‘sharp power’ including military, media and economic pressure against any challenger,” Williamson said in a speech last month.