In Geopolitics Today - Wednesday, July 21st
UK and France Agree Deal Aimed at Curbing Illegal Channel Crossings and US May Seek to Deny China a Base in the Middle East
UK and France Agree Deal Aimed at Curbing Illegal Channel Crossings
The United Kingdom and France have announced the signing of a new bilateral agreement which aims to stop stop the movement of undocumented people across the Channel. The agreement stipulates that both countries intesify security procedures across the English Channel, it outlines how the two countries will jointly develop technology to close off routes used by refugees and migrants as they brave the waters in the hopes of reaching the UK.
Priti Patel, the UK Home Secretary, said that under the new deal the number of officers patrolling beaches would double. The joint French-British initiative will see operatives preventing illigal crossings using new equipment, including drones and radar. As Patel herself noted, “thanks to more police patrols on French beaches and enhanced intelligence sharing between our security and law enforcement agencies, we are already seeing fewer migrants leaving French beaches.”
France has intesified its policing of illegal crossings in the English Channel recently, as its forces have reported that it has prevented twice as many crossings so far this year than it had in the same period last year. Hundreds of people, including children, have attempted to cross the Channel to southern England from northern France — navigating one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world.
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US May Seek to Deny China a Base in the Middle East
To the United States, a greatest beneficiary of the current international order, a China which can project power globally is a nightmare scenario. For China to be in any position to do that, however, its energy supply chains must rely less on external markets and their stability for the Chinese economy to be resilient to international shocks. As a heavy importer of energy, China is especially interested in the Middle East, which is home to some of the largest reserves of the oil in the world.
US military planners have to look no further than Djibouti if they wish to entertain fears of where China might spring its next move from in the region — Beijing’s only foreign military base. Given that the base in Djibouti is already a matter of concern for US policymakers, it seems a given that it aligns with US national interests to prevent China from acquiring another strategic base elsewhere in the region.
One way the US could counter any such move is by incentivising their regional allies to reject any bid by China of taking ownership of a military base. By providing economic or military incentives in the form of bilateral agreements, the US can pressure them to reject any Chinese military association agreements, and thereby Washington may be able to minimise the leverage China has over these countries. In the increasingly hostile competition between the US and China, Washington may even choose to deploy sanctions toward any country in the region working to attract a Chinese military presence.
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