Beijing and Pyongyang have formalised a strategic partnership. Xi Jinping and Kim Jong Un signed a mutual defence commitment during the Chinese leader's state visit to North Korea. This is not diplomatic theatre.
It is a threat vector recalibration. The alliance gives North Korea a nuclear umbrella and China a forward-deployed artillery platform within striking distance of Seoul and US bases. For the UK, the Indo-Pacific tilt must shift from rhetoric to hardware.
The Royal Navy's Carrier Strike Group 21 demonstrated presence but lacked persistent anti-submarine and air defence coverage. Without a permanent base in Japan or Australia, logistically we are overextended. The strategic pivot requires Type 26 frigates forward-deployed, not tied to UK home waters.
Intelligence sharing with Five Eyes partners must focus on North Korean missile telemetry and Chinese submarine movements in the South China Sea. The alternative is a credibility gap that Beijing will exploit. The window for deterrence is closing.
We need a Minister for Indo-Pacific Defence, separate from Foreign Office diplomacy, to coordinate procurement and basing. Else, we are observers to a regional fait accompli.
