https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/u...nger-n59m8skjq
UK’s new foreign policy — Russia is No 1 danger
Britain will treat Russia as a “hostile state” but China primarily as a commercial “competitor”, according to a landmark review of British foreign policy that Boris Johnson will publish on Tuesday.....
In a clear sign that the two powers will be treated differently, the document brands Russia the “biggest state-based threat” that Britain faces as a result of its frequent aggressive incursions into UK waters and airspace and its willingness to use state-sanctioned murder against dissidents on British soil.....
The document will seek to persuade Britain’s former EU partners that the UK plans to remain a cornerstone of European security as a leading partner in Nato.
It will also say that Britain must seek out partners in key strategic regions including the Indo-Pacific. Johnson has targeted India for his first foreign visit next month once lockdown lifts to try to build closer trading links and close relations in pharmaceuticals and the high-tech sectors.
The paper will also confirm that the UK is applying for membership of the CPTPP, the trans-Pacific trade partnership, and has also become a “dialogue partner” of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean). In Africa, the UK will target closer security and diplomatic links with Nigeria.....
One senior Whitehall source said: “The principal threat to the UK is from Russia. That’s in there. It doesn’t talk about China in those terms. China is a competitor that tries to steal intellectual property and is a threat to economic security but that’s not the same as what happened in Salisbury.”.....
Another source said: “Russia is a hostile state, China is a global challenge. With China the approach is: compete where necessary, co-operate where possible, counteract when necessary.”......