[Square] The UK's ASEAN Diplomacy and 'Talgipia' (Leaving Europe, Entering Asia)

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo In-ho] After the United Kingdom decided to leave the European Union (EU) through a national referendum in June 2016, the so-called ‘Brexit’ was officially enacted last January following much controversy.

Contrary to expectations that the UK’s international influence would diminish due to its separation from the European continent, the UK government has expressed its intention to take a more active role on the global stage under the slogan ‘Global Britain.’

In particular, in March of this year, the UK released a policy report outlining its vision for diplomacy and other fields after Brexit, highlighting the ‘pivot to the Indo-Pacific’ as a key area of action, with a focus on strengthening cooperation with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Economically, the UK is also actively approaching ASEAN. In 2019, trade volume reached $52 billion, up 12% from the previous year, and direct investment in ASEAN increased by 26% to $40 billion compared to 2018.

Last year, the UK signed free trade agreements (FTAs) with Singapore and Vietnam, and in June this year, it declared its intention to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), which includes four ASEAN countries.

If Japan pursued ‘Datsu-A Ny?-? (??入?)’?meaning ‘leaving Asia and entering Europe’?after the Meiji Restoration, the UK after Brexit can be said to be aiming for ‘Datsu-? Ny?-A (??入?)’?‘leaving Europe and entering Asia.’

The UK’s efforts bore meaningful fruit at the ASEAN Special Summit last April, where the UK was accepted as a dialogue partner of ASEAN. Considering that ASEAN has frozen new approvals for dialogue partners since 1999, this was an exceptionally favorable exception.

What exactly has enabled such rapid development in UK-ASEAN relations? In a word, it is the ‘accumulated power of diplomacy.’ The UK has maintained close bilateral relations within the Commonwealth system even after former colonies such as Singapore, Brunei, and Malaysia gained independence.

Based on these historical ties, people-to-people exchanges have steadily increased. More than 40% of ASEAN nationals residing in Europe live in the UK, and statistics show that 67% of Europeans living in ASEAN are British.

Additionally, the UK is the most preferred study destination for ASEAN students, with over 40,000 ASEAN-origin students currently enrolled in UK institutions. Particularly notable is the UK’s support for ASEAN in the field of development cooperation, having provided over $4.8 billion in official development assistance to the region in education and health sectors alone over the past decade.

Of course, the UK’s own national interests are also an important factor in strengthening relations with ASEAN. Given forecasts that the UK’s gross domestic product (GDP) will decline due to Brexit, expanding economic cooperation with ASEAN?a massive market of 650 million people?will open new avenues for the UK economy.

From a security perspective, as a maritime nation, the UK maintains an active stance on the South China Sea issue, which is ASEAN’s top concern. The recent navigation of the state-of-the-art aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth through the South China Sea can be seen as part of these efforts.

There are many parallels between the UK’s ASEAN diplomacy after Brexit and South Korea’s New Southern Policy, which seeks to broaden its perspective beyond the Korean Peninsula.

Just as the UK’s ASEAN diplomacy is rooted in long-established relationships and capabilities, it is hoped that Korea-ASEAN relations will continue to develop based on accumulated diplomacy.

Lim Sung-nam, Ambassador to ASEAN