East of Suez’ and the ‘Indo-Pacific’ in British Politics
Some Lessons of History
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 9941552 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Nick Pearce (0000-0002-3353-5349, Institute for Policy Research, University of Bath, Bath, UK, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2023 |
| Volume | 78 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 345-358 |
| Publication date | 2023-09-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | International Journal Canada s Journal of Global Policy Analysis (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0020-7020 • E-ISSN: 2052-465X |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/00207020231195629 |
| OpenAlex | W4386022671 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
The idea of a transoceanic ‘Indo-Pacific’ region has a long historical lineage in British political thought and practice, one whose roots lie in processes of imperial colonisation, conquest and trade in Asia and Australasia. Recent discourses of a return ‘East of Suez’ and the UK's ‘Indo-Pacific Tilt’ cannot be understood as mere imperial nostalgia or post-imperial over-reach, however. Instead, there are historical political imaginaries of Britain's global role which are being put to work in the contemporary politics of shaping an Indo-Pacific strategy for the UK. British policy in the Indo-Pacific has been marked by a consistent awareness of multi-polarity and strategic vulnerability, hierarchies of alliances that give a privileged place to the US and the countries of the ‘Anglosphere’, and the recurrence of maritime, ‘blue water’ conceptions of British identity and interests. These are now being tested by the war in Ukraine and other developments
Ancient history · Ethnology · Indo-Pacific · Political science · Politics · Vulnerability (computing · History · Island Studies and Pacific Affairs · Law
| Citations per year | 0.5 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2024 - 2024 (1) |
| Highly cited | No |