After Missing India’s Republic Day 2021, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson To Visit India In April

File Picture : Twitter / ANI

United Kingdom’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson will visit India in April to boost opportunities in the region and to create a democratic counterweight to China, Reuters reported.

It may be recalled that Johnson was earlier scheduled to visit India on the occasion of Republic Day 26th January 2021 as chief guest bust sudden rise in UK variant virus and the subsequent ban on flights from England forced him to cancel the visit.

The visit comes with  an aim to expand its influence in the Indo-Pacific region while preserving its strong ties with the United States, the British government will be laying out the country’s post-Brexit defence and foreign policy priorities on Tuesday.

Calling the Indo-Pacific “increasingly the geopolitical centre of the world”, the government also highlighted a British aircraft deployment to the region ahead of Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s previously postponed visit to India in April, reported Reuters.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson was supposed to be the chief guest at Republic Day, but due to the surge in COVID-19 cases in the UK and the spread of a new strain, he cancelled his visit. Johnson is scheduled to visit India in April.

Relations between the United Kingdom and China have strained over issues such as Hong Kong, COVID-19 pandemic and also denying Huawei an active role in Britain’s 5G network.

The potential deployment of Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier’s is also expected to raise military tensions in the South China Sea.