‘East of Suez’ and the ‘Indo-Pacific’ in British Politics: Some Lessons of History

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

The idea of a transoceanic ‘Indo-Pacific’ region has a long historical lineage in British political thought and practice, one whose roots lie in processes of imperial colonisation, conquest and trade in Asia and Australasia. Recent discourses of a return ‘East of Suez’ and the UK's ‘Indo-Pacific Tilt’ cannot be understood as mere imperial nostalgia or post-imperial over-reach, however. Instead, there are historical political imaginaries of Britain's global role which are being put to work in the contemporary politics of shaping an Indo-Pacific strategy for the UK. British policy in the Indo-Pacific has been marked by a consistent awareness of multi-polarity and strategic vulnerability, hierarchies of alliances that give a privileged place to the US and the countries of the ‘Anglosphere’, and the recurrence of maritime, ‘blue water’ conceptions of British identity and interests. These are now being tested by the war in Ukraine and other developments.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)345-358
Number of pages14
JournalInternational Journal
Volume78
Issue number3
Early online date21 Aug 2023
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 30 Sept 2023

Bibliographical note

Funding
The author received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Keywords

  • AUKUS
  • Anglosphere
  • British foreign policy
  • Indo-Pacific
  • ‘East of Suez’

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Political Science and International Relations

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