UK will be ‘hard-headed’ in defending interests, foreign minister says of security deal

LONDON (Reuters) – Britain’s new security pact with Australia and the United States shows its readiness to be “hard-headed” in defending its own interests, newly appointed Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said in an article published on Sunday.

The pact has angered France as it saw Canberra ditch a multi-billion-dollar order for French submarines in favour of an alternative deal with Britain and the United States. It has also riled China, the major rising power in the Indo-Pacific region. “This is about more than foreign policy in the abstract, but delivering for people across the UK and beyond by partnering with like-minded countries to build coalitions based on shared values and shared interests,” Truss wrote in the Sunday Telegraph newspaper.

“We will be working closer together to use a wide range of cutting-edge technologies, from nuclear-powered submarines at first and then looking at artificial intelligence and quantum computing. It shows our readiness to be hard-headed in defending our interests and challenging unfair practices and malign acts.” Truss said it also showed Britain’s commitment to security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.

On Friday France recalled its ambassadors to the United States and Australia on Friday over the security deal, citing the “exceptional gravity” of the matter.