In the early days of his premiership, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has pivoted towards international diplomacy, especially in response to the evolving geopolitical challenges in the Middle East and Europe. However, as the world’s focus expands to the Asia-Pacific, Starmer’s diplomatic engagements suggest a fresh focus on this region’s strategic and economic potential for the UK, particularly as it strives to redefine its international role post-Brexit. Starmer’s recent visit to Samoa, where he attended the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) alongside King Charles, highlights the significance his government places on the Asia-Pacific in forging new alliances and economic opportunities, including within the Commonwealth.

The Starmer administration acknowledges that the UK, apart from its involvement in the AUKUS alliance with the US and Australia, may not be positioned to reshape the Asia-Pacific’s military landscape independently. Nevertheless, this does not diminish the region’s importance to the UK’s foreign policy agenda, which increasingly emphasizes economic collaboration and security engagement. Starmer’s government hopes to foster economic opportunities that can support its post-Brexit growth strategy, particularly by leveraging the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) membership, which the UK joined earlier this year.

The CPTPP, which encompasses several major economies, including Japan, Australia, and Canada, represents a significant step in the UK’s “Global Britain” strategy, envisioned after Brexit. With this membership, the UK aims to deepen its economic presence in the region by exploring market access opportunities, fostering partnerships, and promoting green investments. For Starmer’s government, this marks an attempt to integrate the UK into a major trade network that bypasses the EU, reinforcing its commitment to finding alternative trade partners and capitalizing on economic openings outside of Europe.

An essential component of this regional........

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