UK PM Rishi Sunak labels China as 'systemic challenge' to world order
Rishi Sunak
The United Kingdom Prime Minister Rishi Sunak described China as a "systemic challenge" to the world order. Sunak told the US-based media outlet NBC News in an interview on Sunday (March 12) that "Britain is back" and ready to counter the challenge posed by a more "assertive" China.
The UK, the United States and Australia have planned to counter China's growing military influence in the Indo-Pacific with the help of a defence partnership.
While speaking to the outlet at the USS Midway Museum shortly after he arrived in San Diego for the summit, Sunak said that "the behaviour that we have seen in China over recent times is concerning". The British prime minister said that Beijing is "acting in a more authoritarian fashion at home" and is "more assertive overseas".
He further said, "China represents the biggest state threat to our economic interests, for sure. And it's a systemic challenge for the world order."
US President Joe Biden is hosting Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Sunak at the US naval base in San Diego, California, where the leaders will endorse details of the so-called AUKUS project, which was first announced in 2021.
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Sunak on Sunday announced a £5 billion investment in defence as part of a review aimed at responding to emerging geopolitical threats from Russia and China.
The investment comes after Sunak's defence minister Ben Wallace warned in January that the British armed forces were "hollowed out and underfunded".
A statement from the Prime Minister's office said that the investment will help to replenish ammunition stocks, modernise the UK's nuclear enterprise and fund the next phase of the AUKUS submarine programme.
As quoted by news agencies, Sunak said, "As the world becomes more volatile and competition between states becomes more intense, the UK must be ready to stand our ground. By investing in our armed forces for the long-term, we will be ready for the challenges of today and of the future."
(With inputs from agencies)
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