Philip Hammond, the British foreign secretary, said in Singapore on Jan. 30 the nation's armed forces are ready to take action in the Asia-Pacific if its interests and alliances in the region are put at risk by regional security challenges, defense expert Ridzwan Rahmat writes in a piece for the UK-based Jane's Defence Weekly. Hammond was delivering a lecture at the Rajaratnam School of International Studies.
A former secretary of defense, Hammond said that he is dismayed at the slow pace of historic reconciliation despite increased economic interconnectedness in the region. The example of World War I shows that economical connectedness is no guarantee of regional peace, which can still be torn apart by strategic rivalry, Hammond said.
"Many inside and outside Asia are watching nervously as political tensions and nationalism heighten in East Asia," Hammond said. Even though the United Kingdom does not tak a position on territorial disputes in the East and South China seas, it still rejects a power-based order in Asia, he said. Hammond suggested that territorial disputes be resolved according to international rules. London has an important stake in security in Asia given that US$4.52 trillion worth of trade passes through the South China Sea annually.
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