Last week, British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said India was “essential” to a free, open, inclusive and prosperous Indo-Pacific. in an interview to Hindu, British High Commissioner Alexander Ellis elaborated on the UK’s interest in the region, whether military activities in the region are aimed at China and how he sees opportunities for India as a reliable supplier in global supply chains . Part::
ka port stop HMS Queen Elizabeth Britain’s ‘Indo-Pacific leaning’ was in action in Mumbai. Can you elaborate on the need to ensure an open Indo-Pacific?
Britain has important interests in this part of the world. Indo-Pacific will forever be the center of the world. That’s why we’ve invested so much in this area in different ways. There are only a few countries in the world, which essentially determine the climate of the world. India is one of them, China is the other – both in this area.
What is your reaction to the controversy that multinational military activities in the Indo-Pacific are primarily against China?
They aim for something that has an open and secure Indo-Pacific. And you are right to mention the fact that Carrier Strike Group has more than one country. It has a Dutch destroyer. There are some US Marines in it. So it’s working with a lot of countries – some old friends, some new partners.
Is it possible to isolate China, on which the global supply chain is heavily dependent?
It’s about working for something that has an open and secure Indo-Pacific. And a lot of that is brand trust. Build trusting relationships with India and other partners – Japan, Australia and others in the region. We will always have a mix with China. Sometimes we will cooperate with what we are trying to do on climate change. Sometimes we will compete and sometimes we may have to contest elections.
But I think every country will have to adapt to the consequences of both a stronger China and a more assertive China.
This requires optimization of our structures, which we have done in the UK. And we’ve seen that over 5G, where, we’ve never ended up in any one country. But you know, you have to have some degree of confidence in your technology, suppliers and avoid high risk vendors. I see great opportunities in that area for India as a reliable supplier, which is why I come back to where trust between countries like the UK and India is so important, because so much flows from that trust.
What key issues does the COP hope to achieve in Glasgow?
We have a good Paris agreement and we have to take another step on that path. One important thing about this COP is that everyone has a contribution in it. India has an incredibly important role to play. I think the scale of India clearly makes it a big actor in this field. But India has a big advantage that to some extent the solution lies in its own hands.
Certain decisions were taken by the British and Indian governments which affected the travelers and traders of these countries. They are now resolved. Do you think everything is back to normal now?
There are still restrictions on the number of flights that can be floated in the UK and India, which we want to change. The demand is very high with people wanting to travel between the two countries, which is a good sign. We would like to have an electronic visa for tourists and businessmen coming to India from the UK.
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