Government releases integrated security policy review - Russia and China “systemic competitors”

The U.K. government released The Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy on 16 March, more than a year since the process was first launched.

One of the headline announcements was the decision to increase by 40 per cent the U.K.’s stockpile of nuclear warheads - from 180 to 260, though Downing Street said this was a limit, not necessarily a target. Labour leader Keir Starmer criticised the decision, noting that consecutive previous governments have pledged to reduce Britain’s stockpile. It was not immediately clear why Prime Minister Boris Johnson had decided to increase the cap.

“Systemic competitor” Russia, in the government’s view, remains “the most acute threat to … security” in the Euro-Atlantic region. Britain, it says, will continue to work with NATO as the leading European ally in the organisation to deter nuclear, conventional, and hybrid threats, especially those emanating from Russia. The government pledged to continue to build up the armed forces of Ukraine and support the other states in the Eastern European neighbourhood, which may well prompt a strong response from Russia. Andrey Kelin, Russian ambassador to the U.K., said that Russia will act exactly the same way as the U.K. has been acting toward Russia.

Another point of contention was China, which was also recognised as a “systemic competitor”. The review stated the need for the U.K. economy to “engage with China and remain open to Chinese trade and investment.” Despite taking an increasingly hawkish stance on China last year, as evidenced by the decision to block Huawei’s involvement in the U.K.’s 5G networks, the government was immediately criticised yesterday for “going soft” on China.