The British Army’s presence in Brunei is at “substantial risk” of being compromised by China, a bombshell report has claimed.
The military position, which is the last of its kind in the Far East and consists of 900 permanent troops, may be vulnerable as Chinese President Xi Jinping looks to deepen ties with the Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah, the report alleged.
The report titled Geopolitical Vulnerabilities of the UK’s International Military Partnerships and carried out by the independent Adarga Research Institute and the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, looked at what may happen if British forces in Brunei were replaced by their Chinese counterparts.
Its authors warned it would lead to “immense strategic damage to the US’s defence of Taiwan” and “almost certainly damage Anglo-American relations”.
The report continued: “The fact that the UK has little economic exchange with Brunei aside from oil — or indeed, much of a relationship at all outside of the military-political context — means that China has more room to operate in-country.
“This, together with Brunei’s strategic location and the fact that the sultan is now 78, means that there is a substantial risk that the UK’s standing in Brunei is compromised.
“If this compromise was escalated to Brunei asking UK forces to leave, and they were replaced by Chinese troops, this would create immense strategic damage to the US’s defence of Taiwan. This in turn would almost certainly damage Anglo-American relations.”
Gurkhas have been stationed in Brunei on a British Army and RAF base since 1962, but the report claimed the only reason they’re still there is because of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah’s personal support.
His Majesty – a graduate of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst – covers the base’s expenses.
A UK defence source told The Times that there are currently no plans to pull British troops from Brunei, as Sir Keir Starmer recently renewed the UK-Brunei Garrison Agreement to keep them there for at least another five years on December 19.
The report claimed Brunei has “increasingly shown signs of aligning with China’s geopolitical interests on core issues” in the wake of new funding for a refinery, roads, and bridges.
However, the UK remains unwavering in its commitment to the defence and security of Brunei and the wider Indo-Pacific area, as demonstrated by a series of major multinational military exercises carried out in the summer of 2024 as well as the regular defence engagement and episodic deployments in the region.
Moreover, the UK’s Carrier Strike Group will deploy to the Indo-Pacific this year.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has been contacted for comment.
