BANGKOK -- Britain reigned supreme in the world's ocean from the 17th to 20th centuries, and its formal withdrawal from the European Union at the end of January means it has started redefining its political and diplomatic priorities in line with its old identity as a leading maritime country.
After half a century of concentrating its strategic attention on the continent, the U.K.'s strategic focus is now shifting toward the Indo-Pacific, where it once had a dominant economic and military presence. As a result of this seismic geopolitical shift, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations is facing the need to figure out the full implications of Britain's return as a maritime power.
