UK should prepare for Chinese tilt to the West, Royal Navy chief says

The head of the Royal Navy has said the UK and its partner nations should "prepare for a Chinese tilt to the West".

Speaking at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), Admiral Sir Ben Key said China would look to the West as the UK continues to "invest in our own interests in the East".

"The challenge China poses to us all is the one that may define the next generation," he said.

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"A shift in the centre of gravity of the global economy is already underway and by 2050 it will sit firmly in the Asia-Pacific."

The new comes after MPs called for an unclassified China strategy in a new report focused on the Indo-Pacific tilt outlined in the Integrated Review.

The report concluded there appears to be "confusion across Whitehall about the tilt to the Indo-Pacific, stemming from a failure to explain the policy".

It also urged all relevant ministers to be briefed on the higher classification version of the China strategy.

China was not the only topic on the agenda for Admiral Sir Ben at RUSI, who also stressed the relevance of the Baltics in the coming years given the "levels of activity are higher than in decades".

"While Russia regenerates its army, in the short term naval and air assets have been less affected by the Ukraine war and continue to be a significant part of their strategy," he said.

"I fear failing to recognise this will put us on the wrong side of history. The ramifications of Russia's war self-evidently stretch beyond the Ukrainian landmass or the Black Sea."

Another region mentioned was the Gulf, with Admiral Sir Ben stating the UK would continue to work closely with the US and others in the coalition maritime forces to "combat authoritarian regimes, those who would sew discord and sponsor terror".

Technology featured in the Navy chief's lecture, with Admiral Sir Ben emphasising the UK must be "fit for the future".

"This will come through continued investment in our ships, in technology, and in our people," he said.

"The Royal Navy has on order, or in build, 16 new ships and six submarines and, over the next decade, will shift to being an advanced data-driven and AI enabled force with a combination of crewed, autonomous and remotely piloted systems."