This article explores the UK’s foreign policy “pivot” to Asia, a decade after its tentative beginnings. This pivot is understood to be Britain’s planned redirection of attention and resources to Asia which emerged gradually from around 2007/2008, before intensifying from 2010. It is argued that the pivot has been evident across distinctive phases and political, economic and security dimensions, while lacking organisation, clarity and purpose, leaving it partial and incomplete. Examined are the motivations for the pivot and the forms it has taken, its accomplishments and ultimately what the pivot reveals about the role and influence the UK claims in Asia today. It is shown that in its key trade and investment aims, the pivot has achieved mixed results, doing little to enhance the UK’s position as a tertiary-level partner of Asia. However, Britain’s agency and importance is best explained not by its quantities, but its qualities, of power, occupying the regional roles of “subcontractor” and “facilitator”. Finally, the article looks to Britain’s future in Asia. Exiting the EU would likely see the UK retain its status of subcontractor, while its ability to act as facilitator would almost certainly diminish. The article concludes by arguing that, despite the rhetoric of the pivot, Britain’s presence in Asia will never be defined by its quantities of material power, and that it should work to sustain the qualities of power on which its regional presence is built.

中文翻译：

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区域实力的分包、便利化和品质：英国的部分重心转向亚洲

本文探讨了英国在试探性开始十年后“转向”亚洲的外交政策。这种转向被理解为英国计划将注意力和资源转向亚洲，这种转向从 2007/2008 年左右逐渐出现，然后从 2010 年开始加强。有人认为，这种转向在不同的阶段和政治、经济和安全方面都很明显，而缺乏组织、清晰和目的，使其片面和不完整。审查了转向的动机及其采取的形式、其成就以及转向最终揭示了英国今天在亚洲所声称的作用和影响。结果表明，在其主要的贸易和投资目标上，“支点”取得的成果喜忧参半，对提升英国作为亚洲第三级合作伙伴的地位作用不大。然而，英国的代理权和重要性的最好解释不是它的数量，而是它的质量，权力，占据了“分包商”和“促进者”的区域角色。最后，文章展望了英国在亚洲的未来。退出欧盟可能会使英国保留其分包商的地位，而其作为促进者的能力几乎肯定会减弱。文章最后指出，尽管有转折的言论，但英国在亚洲的存在永远不会由其物质力量的数量来定义，它应该努力维持其区域存在所依赖的力量品质。退出欧盟可能会使英国保留其分包商的地位，而其作为促进者的能力几乎肯定会减弱。文章最后指出，尽管有转折的言论，但英国在亚洲的存在永远不会由其物质力量的数量来定义，它应该努力维持其区域存在所依赖的力量品质。退出欧盟可能会使英国保留其分包商的地位，而其作为促进者的能力几乎肯定会减弱。文章最后指出，尽管有转折的言论，但英国在亚洲的存在永远不会由其物质力量的数量来定义，它应该努力维持其区域存在所依赖的力量品质。