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CNA
12 hours ago
- Business
- CNA
UK aircraft carrier docks at Marina Bay Cruise Centre as part of eight month Indo-Pacific deployment
SINGAPORE: As a military band played and schoolchildren waved British and Singapore flags, British aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales sailed into the history books on Monday (Jun 23) as the first warship to dock at the Marina Bay Cruise Centre. Singapore is the first formal port call in the region for the carrier which is on an eight-month Indo-Pacific deployment. It is the flagship of a strike group comprising five core ships, 24 jets and 17 helicopters. Some other vessels in the strike group are docked at naval bases around Singapore. While the warship is at Marina Bay Cruise Centre, it will host Singapore officials and industry leaders from 'defence and security, trade and business, and science and research sectors', said the British High Commission in a press release. Planned activities include a "defence and security industry day" held at the carrier's hangar, as well as a friendly e-sports tournament with military personnel from the UK, Singapore and the Singaporean e-sports community competing in a 'specially installed onboard gaming facility'. Britain's Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology Peter Kyle, its Vice Chief of the Defence Staff General Sharon Nesmith, and Attorney General Lord Richard Hermer will also be in Singapore during the visit. British High Commissioner to Singapore Nik Mehta said the strike group's visit symbolises the UK's 'enduring commitment' to the Indo-Pacific region and its 'strong partnership' with Singapore. 'As we celebrate 60 years of diplomatic relations between the UK and Singapore, the timing of this visit could not be more fitting,' he said. 'Through our engagements with Singaporean and regional partners over the coming days, we will strengthen our defence cooperation, explore new avenues for trade and innovation, and reaffirm our shared vision for security and prosperity across the Indo-Pacific." The British High Commission said that 'growth' is at the heart of the group's visit to Singapore. 'Events hosted on board the carrier are aimed at connecting UK and Singaporean stakeholders in the areas of defence and security, science and technology, business and investment,' said the release. A "LONG-TERM STRATEGIC POSTURE" HMS Prince of Wales has a flight deck 70m wide and 280m long – enough space for three football pitches – and is one of the British Royal Navy's two Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers. The carrier set off from Britain in April for Operation Highmast, a deployment which involves around 4,000 UK military personnel, including 2,500 from the Royal Navy, 592 from the Royal Air Force, and about 900 from the British Army. The deployment involves 30 countries through exercises, operations and visits across the Mediterranean, Middle East, and the Indo-Pacific. This includes exercises with the United States, India, Singapore, and Malaysia. "The UK is one in a small group of countries with the capability to lead a deployment of this scale, demonstrating its unwavering commitment to maintaining the international rules-based system. The deployment is a further demonstration of the UK's unwavering commitment to the Indo-Pacific," said the British High Commission. "The UK is clear that the security and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific is indivisible from that of the Euro-Atlantic – and our commitment to this region is a generational mission, a long-term strategic posture."
Straits Times
18-05-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Forum: Britain is back and open for business
The UK government promised to make the UK the best country to do business. We are delivering. Our economy recently received two huge votes of confidence. First, the UK struck a landmark Free Trade Agreement with India – the fastest-growing economy in the G-20. The agreement is the most generous in India's history, and it will make trade between our countries seamless. Second, the UK became the first country to secure an economic deal with the Trump administration. This will reduce tariffs across a range of sectors, from steel and aluminium to automotives, and cuts costs for businesses operating in the UK. Some said these deals would never be done. But the US and India saw in the UK a country with strong economic foundations. A trusted partner ready to negotiate constructively. An innovative economy embracing new trends like AI. Like Singapore, Britain has always been an open, outward-looking trading nation. We believe that markets and free trade are fundamental to building prosperity at home and abroad. We have one of the largest economies in the world, with cutting-edge businesses, brilliant universities, and a talented workforce. Many Singaporean investors, including GIC, Temasek, OCBC Bank, ComfortDelGro and Sembcorp have such a strong presence in the UK. Earlier this year, the UK announced £13 billion (S$22.4 billion) of capital investment over the next five years to deliver the projects needed to catalyse private investment, boost growth and drive forward the UK's modern industrial strategy. This follows £100 billion of capital investment announced last autumn. The US and India recognised the huge potential of a closer trading relationship with the UK. Singapore's investment in the UK already totals almost £250 billion, making it the third-largest Asian investor in the UK. And with the offer of certainty, stability, and simplicity, we will give Singaporean investors the confidence to expand even further in the UK. The UK is now an active member of CPTPP after becoming the first European member earlier this year. Through CPTPP and our Asean dialogue partnership, we will champion a stable and predictable trading environment for business. We remain focused on the future of trade, through our innovative and world-leading agreements with Singapore on the digital and green economies. With the support of the British Chamber of Commerce, over 6,000 business entities already have a strong presence in Singapore. Over 70 per cent of UK businesses operating in Asia Pacific have their regional hub in Singapore. Our priority in Singapore and this region is to continue to build partnerships, and to create further opportunities in the UK's new era of growth. Nik Mehta British High Commissioner to Singapore More on this Topic Forum: What readers are saying Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
