Close X
Friday, November 29, 2024
ADVT 
International

UK cuts diplomatic jobs in countries like India, Pak, China: Report

Darpan News Desk IANS, 13 Mar, 2023 10:44 AM
  • UK cuts diplomatic jobs in countries like India, Pak, China: Report

London, March 13 (IANS) British-based diplomatic posts for key Indo-Pacific countries like India, Pakistan and China have been cut by up to 50 per cent in recent years, according to new government figures.

Despite being identified as key places to deepen ties with over the coming decade, staff members of embassies and consulates in Pakistan, China and India have all been diminishing over the last seven years, the Guardian reported.

According to the report, the number of British-based Foreign Office staff was between 110 and 119 in the Pakistan embassy and consulate.

This fell to 50-59, a cut equivalent to about 50 per cent.

Over the same timeframe, the number of British-based Foreign Office staff was cut from 70-79 to 40-49 in the past seven years in India.

The figures shared by the Guardian came from the Foreign Office minister David Rutley, in response to written parliamentary questions by the Labour frontbencher Catherine West.

The figures also showed a reduction in the number of trips by ministers to these countries.

The Foreign Office and international development department conducted 37 ministerial trips to the Indo-Pacific region in 2018, with some countries being visited more than once a year.

However, by 2022, the number of ministerial trips conducted was less than a third of that, with just 12 recorded, the Guardian reported.

A Foreign Office spokesperson told the Guardian that these numbers do not give an "accurate picture" of Britain's presence in the Indo-Pacific region.

The reduction in headcount of UK-based staff in China and India is partly due to Covid and how the UK spends its overseas development budget, the Guardian was told.

Citing evidence of the UK's growing influence in the region, the spokesperson told the Guardian that there was a boost of 16.4 per cent in trade with the Indo-Pacific year-on-year from autumn 2021 to 2022.

MORE International ARTICLES

Delta, unvaccinated keeping U.S. borders closed

Delta, unvaccinated keeping U.S. borders closed
With only about 57 per cent of eligible U.S. residents fully vaccinated, media reports say the Biden administration plans to keep its borders closed for now.

Delta, unvaccinated keeping U.S. borders closed

New Covid-19 cases, deaths and spread of variants all on the rise: WHO

New Covid-19 cases, deaths and spread of variants all on the rise: WHO
Last week, Indonesia, the United Kingdom and Brazil were the most affected places with respectively 350,273, 296,447 and 287,610 cases, the WHO said.

New Covid-19 cases, deaths and spread of variants all on the rise: WHO

Biden puts up David Cohen as ambassador to Canada

Biden puts up David Cohen as ambassador to Canada
Cohen, a lawyer, lobbyist and fundraiser who currently serves as a senior adviser to the head of U.S. communications giant Comcast, had long been pegged as the likely nominee.

Biden puts up David Cohen as ambassador to Canada

Lambda remains variant of interest rather than variant of concern for now

Lambda remains variant of interest rather than variant of concern for now
The report states: "Lambda has been associated with substantive rates of community transmission in multiple countries, with rising prevalence over time concurrent with increased Covid-19 incidence."

Lambda remains variant of interest rather than variant of concern for now

Immunized but banned: EU says not all COVID vaccines equal

Immunized but banned: EU says not all COVID vaccines equal
The couple — and millions of other people vaccinated through a U.N.-backed effort — could find themselves barred from entering many European and other countries because those nations don't recognize the Indian-made version of the vaccine for travel.

Immunized but banned: EU says not all COVID vaccines equal

WHO: Rich countries should donate vaccines, not use boosters

WHO: Rich countries should donate vaccines, not use boosters
Top officials at the World Health Organization say there's not enough evidence to show that third doses of coronavirus vaccines are needed and appealed Monday for the scarce shots to be shared with poor countries who have yet to immunize their people instead of being used by rich countries as boosters.

WHO: Rich countries should donate vaccines, not use boosters