Leading%20the%20largest%20empire%20in%20history%20for%20over%20a%20century%2C%20the%20post-Brexit%20and%20post-COVID%20Britain%20is%20once%20again%20searching%20for%20a%20new%20identity%20as%20its%20traditional%20foreign%20and%20economic%20choices%20have%20undergone%20a%20transformation%20impelled%20by%20the%20shifting%20power%20dynamics%20and%20predilections%20of%20its%20people.%20This%20was%20put%20eloquently%20by%20a%20former%20US%20Secretary%20of%20State%2C%20Dean%20Acheson%20in%20December%201962%20when%20he%20said%3A%20%u201CGreat%20Britain%20has%20lost%20an%20empire%20and%20has%20not%20yet%20found%20a%20role%u201D.%26nbsp%3B

Britain%20emerged%20from%20the%20Second%20World%20War%20as%20an%20exhausted%20power%3B%20its%20ambition%20of%20playing%20a%20significant%20role%20in%20the%20post-war%20scenario%20was%20put%20paid%20by%20the%20ill-fated%20initiative%20of%201956%20when%20a%20joint%20Franco-British%20expedition%20to%20reverse%20Nasser%u2019s%20nationalisation%20of%20the%20Suez%20Canal%20was%20scuttled%20by%20the%20USA.%20While%20France%20drew%20the%20lesson%20that%20it%20must%20strive%20for%20more%20independence%2C%20the%20UK%20realised%20that%20it%20needed%20Washington%u2019s%20support.%20Thus%20led%20to%20a%20long%20era%20of%20a%20special%20relationship%20between%20the%20USA%20and%20Britain.%26nbsp%3B

The%20two%20worked%20together%20during%20the%20cold%20war%20years%20and%20collaborated%20in%20setting%20up%20post-war%20institutions.%20The%20USA%20helped%20Britain%20in%20acquiring%20air%20and%20sea-based%20missile%20capabilities%3B%20the%20UK%20supported%20the%20USA%20in%20Afghanistan%20and%20Iraq%20wars%20%28other%20major%20EU%20countries%20like%20France%20and%20Germany%20were%20reluctant%20to%20join%20the%20Iraq%20war%29.%26nbsp%3B

UK%20was%20wary%20in%20closely%20identifying%20with%20the%20European%20Union%20%28EU%29%20apprehensive%20as%20it%20was%20about%20surrendering%20its%20sovereignty%20and%20independence%20of%20policies%20%28it%20sought%20a%20number%20of%20opt-outs%20from%20the%20EU%20in%20labour%2C%20justice%2C%20economic%20and%20monetary%20union%29.%20Also%2C%20the%20EU%20often%20spoke%20with%20different%20voices%20and%20ended%20up%20with%20weak%20common%20positions.%20UK%27s%20Euroscepticism%20grew%20further%20as%20immigration%20into%20the%20UK%20from%20poorer%20East%20European%20countries%20increased.

%3Cstrong%3EAlso%20read%3A%20%3C/strong%3E%3Ca%20target%3D%22_blank%22%20rel%3D%22noopener%20noreferrer%22%20href%3D%22https%3A//opoyi.com/china-dictating-terms-to-us-allies-the-latter-hope-joe-biden-wouldnt-play-into-beijings-hands%22%3E%3Cstrong%3EChina%20dictating%20terms%20to%20US%27%20allies%3B%20the%20latter%20hope%20Joe%20Biden%20wouldn%27t%20play%20into%20Beijing%27s%20hands%3C/strong%3E%3C/a%3E

When%20David%20Cameron%2C%20a%20conservative%2C%20obtained%20a%20majority%20in%20the%202015%20election%2C%20he%20felt%20that%20the%20European%20issue%20had%20to%20be%20settled%20once%20for%20all%20and%20a%20referendum%20on%20whether%20the%20UK%20should%20leave%20the%20EU%20was%20scheduled%20with%20the%20victory%20of%20exit%20campaign%20in%20June%202016.%20Since%20then%2C%20the%20UK%20has%20been%20struggling%20with%20the%20EU%20in%20finalising%20terms%20of%20its%20future%20relationship.%20Trade%20is%20an%20important%20area%20of%20bilateral%202%20cooperation%20as%20UK%20exports%2043%25%20of%20its%20exports%20to%20the%20EU%20%282019%29%20and%20imports%2052%25%20from%20them.%26nbsp%3B

Another%20development%20that%20hit%20Britain%20adversely%20in%202016%20was%20the%20indifferent%20attitude%20of%20the%20new%20US%20President%20Donald%20Trump%20towards%20a%20special%20relationship%20with%20the%20UK.%20Trump%u2019s%20berating%20of%20the%20NATO%20in%20which%20the%20UK%20had%20reposed%20huge%20confidence%2C%20particularly%2C%20irked%20London.%20As%20a%20result%2C%20the%20UK%20started%20moving%20closer%20towards%20Germany%20and%20France%20on%20the%20climate%20change%2C%20US%20recognition%20of%20Jerusalem%20and%20giving%20contracts%20to%20the%20Chinese%205G%20behemoth%2C%20Huawei.%26nbsp%3B

Election%20of%20Joe%20Biden%20as%20the%20US%20President%20and%20his%20support%20to%20USA%u2019s%20traditional%20alliances%20including%20NATO%20has%20again%20restored%20UK%u2019s%20interest%20in%20its%20special%20relationship%20with%20the%20USA.%20But%20Brexited%20UK%20is%20very%20different%20from%20the%20pre-Brexit%20UK%2C%20no%20longer%20member%20of%20the%20EU%20with%20its%20economy%20truncated%20by%20about%20one%20fourth.%20It%u2019s%20unsure%20how%20much%20attention%20it%20would%20get%20from%20Washington%20now.%26nbsp%3B

In%20that%20sense%2C%20it%u2019s%20at%20crossroads%20searching%20for%20a%20new%20identity.%20Instead%20of%20an%20emphasis%20on%20its%20Atlantic%20ties%2C%20the%20Brexited%20UK%20is%20now%20seeking%20a%20more%20global%20orientation%20in%20its%20foreign%20policy.%20More%20clarity%20on%20it%20will%20be%20available%20when%20the%20UK%u2019s%20integrated%20defence%20and%20foreign%20policy%20review%20is%20published%20in%20early%202021.%26nbsp%3B

The%20visiting%20UK%20Foreign%20Secretary%20Dominic%20Raab%20told%20the%20media%20on%20December%2015%2C%202020%2C%20that%20the%20UK%20foreign%20policy%20would%20have%20a%20tilt%20towards%20the%20Indo-Pacific%20%28IP%29.%20Rise%20of%20China%20has%20created%20new%20opportunities%20such%20as%20the%20growth%20of%20economies%20in%20Southeast%20and%20Far%20East%20Asia%20and%20risks%20such%20as%20its%20military%20standoff%20with%20India%2C%20he%20added.%26nbsp%3B

%3Cstrong%3EAlso%20read%3A%20%3C/strong%3E%3Ca%20target%3D%22_blank%22%20rel%3D%22noopener%20noreferrer%22%20href%3D%22https%3A//opoyi.com/big-ben-to-toll-for-brexit-new-year%22%3E%3Cstrong%3EBig%20Ben%20to%20toll%20for%20Brexit%2C%20New%20year%3C/strong%3E%3C/a%3E

This%20approach%20is%20in%20consonance%20with%20the%20USA%u2019s%20priority%20to%20the%20IP%20in%20view%20of%20China%u2019s%20unabashed%20ambition%20to%20seek%20global%20supremacy%2C%20which%20the%20USA%20and%20other%20countries%20are%20resisting.%20UK%20has%20decided%20to%20despatch%20an%20aircraft%20carrier%20to%20the%20IP%20next%20year%20to%20underline%20the%20shift%20in%20its%20policy.%26nbsp%3B

UK%20has%20inked%20free%20trade%20agreements%20with%20a%20number%20of%20countries%20in%20the%20IP%20such%20as%20Japan%2C%20South%20Korea%2C%20and%20Vietnam%20and%20is%20working%20on%20another%20such%20agreement%20with%20India.%20Given%20that%20the%20two%20countries%20are%20democratic%20pluralist%20societies%20well%20known%20to%20each%20other%20and%20share%20similar%20views%20on%20market%20economies%20and%20multipolar%20world%2C%20they%20can%20work%20together%20on%20issues%20such%20as%20Afghanistan%2C%203%20the%20Middle%20East%2C%20IP%2C%20terrorism%2C%20cybersecurity%2C%20hybrid%20warfare%2C%20post-%20Covid%20economic%20recovery%2C%20vaccine%20development%2C%20fostering%20trade%2C%20emerging%20technologies%20and%20innovation.%26nbsp%3B

In%20this%20context%2C%20the%20visit%20of%20Prime%20Minister%20Boris%20Johnson%20to%20India%20in%20January%202021%20takes%20high%20importance.%20It%20will%20be%20his%20first%20major%20bilateral%20visit%20since%20taking%20office%2C%20first%20after%20Brexiting%20and%20indicates%20the%20UK%u2019s%20commitment%20to%20step%20up%20its%20engagement%20with%20the%20IP%20region.%20This%20is%20good%20news%20for%20democracies%20as%20they%20would%20be%20able%20to%20pushback%20China%u2019s%20authoritarian%20and%20aggressive%20behaviour%20in%20the%20region%20more%20vigorously.%26nbsp%3B

India%20and%20the%20UK%20have%20a%20growing%20trade%20and%20investment%20relationship%20worth%20around%20%2430%20billion%20annually.%20There%20are%20842%20Indian%20companies%20in%20the%20UK%20with%20a%20turnover%20of%20about%20%2452%20billion%20and%20400%20British%20companies%20in%20India.%20India%20has%20a%20large%20diaspora%20of%20about%201.5%20million%20people%20in%20the%20UK%20many%20of%20whom%20are%20holding%20cabinet%20and%20other%20high%20positions%20in%20the%20UK%20government.%20There%20are%20about%2030%2C000%20Indian%20students%20studying%20in%20the%20UK.%20The%26nbsp%3B

The%20UK%20has%20great%20proficiency%20in%20multilateralism%20and%20building%20bridges%20across%20countries.%20UK%20has%20invited%20India%20along%20with%20South%20Korea%20and%20Australia%20as%20a%20guest%20to%20the%20G-7%20Summit%20next%20year.%20It%20gels%20with%20its%20earlier%20initiative%20of%20holding%20a%20meeting%20of%20ten%20democracies%20%28D-10%29%20on%20working%20out%20alternate%20supplies%20of%205G%20equipment%20and%20technologies.%20Also%2C%20the%20UK%20will%20be%20hosting%20the%2026th%20UN%20Climate%20Change%20Conference%20to%20be%20held%20at%20Glasgow%20next%20year.%20These%20meetings%20will%20be%20an%20opportunity%20for%20the%20Johnson%20government%20to%20show%20that%20even%20without%20the%20umbrella%20of%20the%20EU%2C%20the%20Brexited%20Britain%20can%20still%20be%20a%20global%20player.%26nbsp%3B

Johnson%20government%u2019s%20future%20challenge%20will%20be%20to%20navigate%20its%20path%20from%20the%20nationalist%20populism%20to%20working%20out%20new%20relationships%20of%20interdependence%2C%20which%20will%20create%20engines%20for%20rapid%20economic%20growth.%20This%20will%20not%20be%20easy%20as%20the%20UK%20and%20the%20world%20are%20bedevilled%20by%20the%20growing%20domestic%20dissensions%2C%20shifting%20power%20balances%2C%20disruptive%20behaviour%20and%20growing%20demands%20on%20their%20recession-hit%20economies.

%3Ca%20class%3D%22mention%22%20data-mention%3D%22%23UnitedKingdom%22%20data-user-id%3D%221ZHXu2smNkDw%22%20href%3D%22/topic/united-kingdom%22%3E%23UnitedKingdom%3C/a%3E%20%3Ca%20class%3D%22mention%22%20data-mention%3D%22%23BorisJohnson%22%20data-user-id%3D%22KjfcAb3cbtN7%22%20href%3D%22/topic/bhorisjhonson%22%3E%23BorisJohnson%3C/a%3E%20%3Ca%20class%3D%22mention%22%20data-mention%3D%22%23Brexit%22%20data-user-id%3D%22iPoj1PlyiZFG%22%20href%3D%22/topic/brexit%22%3E%23Brexit%3C/a%3E%20%3Ca%20class%3D%22mention%22%20data-mention%3D%22%23COVID-19%22%20data-user-id%3D%22Uu1ktMOuUSoh%22%20href%3D%22/topic/covid-19%22%3E%23COVID-19%3C/a%3E%20%3Ca%20class%3D%22mention%22%20data-mention%3D%22%23USA%22%20data-user-id%3D%22SPBaPrR23eZS%22%20href%3D%22/topic/usa%22%3E%23USA%3C/a%3E%20%3Ca%20class%3D%22mention%22%20data-mention%3D%22%23India%22%20data-user-id%3D%22Bq4MmUPrXF8p%22%20href%3D%22/topic/india%22%3E%23India%3C/a%3E%20%3Ca%20class%3D%22mention%22%20data-mention%3D%22%23Politics%22%20data-user-id%3D%22ODQ1kqHlUPEu%22%20href%3D%22/topic/politics%22%3E%23Politics%3C/a%3E%20%3Ca%20class%3D%22mention%22%20data-mention%3D%22%23Economy%22%20data-user-id%3D%225VhOB45vqxj9%22%20href%3D%22/topic/economy%22%3E%23Economy%3C/a%3E%20%3Ca%20class%3D%22mention%22%20data-mention%3D%22%23World%22%20data-user-id%3D%22iEhRQcab92b8%22%20href%3D%22/topic/world%22%3E%23World%3C/a%3E%26nbsp%3B