Russia, China threaten to create world defined by danger, disorder & division, warns UK PM

"Russian invasion of Ukraine and China's aggression over Taiwan threaten to create a world defined by danger, disorder and division," warned UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Monday, March 13. The UK Prime Minister explained how the security environment has changed over the past two years, with threats and challenges intensifying.

As the Britain government published a long-awaited update to a major defence, security and international policy review on Monday, March 13, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said, "Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine, weaponisation of energy and food supplies and irresponsible nuclear rhetoric, combined with China's more aggressive stance in the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait, are threatening to create a world defined by danger, disorder and division - and an international order more favourable to authoritarianism."

Predicting a 'difficult and dangerous decade', UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak described the Chinese Communist Party as posing an "epoch-defining challenge". Notably, the Integrated Review, in its first publication in 2021, described China as it was previously described only as a "systemic challenge".

'Tensions in Indo-Pacific could have consequences greater than Ukraine'

The 63-page Integrated Review Refresh signalled that the world faced the biggest risk in decades of security threats escalating, including uncontrolled conflict with nuclear weapons.

According to Sky News, citing the updated Integrated Review, "The most immediate security priority was to tackle the threat posed by Russia's war in Europe." But it further warned that any future war in the Indo-Pacific, where tensions have increased with China over Taiwan, could have global consequences greater than the conflict in Ukraine.

According to Integrated Review, "UK's collective security now is intrinsically linked to the outcome of the conflict in Ukraine. Britain and other Western countries have increased their pledges of military aid for Ukraine this year, with promises of tanks and armoured vehicles as well as longer-range weapons."

Sunak is in San Diego to meet US President Biden and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese as a part of the AUKUS project to develop nuclear-powered submarines for the Australian navy. Notably, the AUKUS deal is a trilateral security partnership between Australia, the UK and the US that will provide nuclear-powered submarines to Australia.