Special to WorldTribune.com

Jack Caravelli, Washington Free Beacon

The British government of Prime Minister David Cameron is embarking on policies that test relations with the United States and align it more closely with China, including cutting defense spending below levels required by NATO and supporting a China-backed competitor to the World Bank.

In recent weeks Cameron has refused to say whether his government, if re-elected, would continue to spend at least 2 percent of GDP on defense. “As part of their commitment to the NATO alliance, member states are expected to spend a minimum of 2 percent GDP on the defense budget,” Liam Fox told the Washington Free Beacon. Fox is a member of Parliament and a former minister of defense for the United Kingdom. . . .

Reduced UK defense spending over the past five years already has reduced the size of British ground forces to their lowest levels — well under 100,000 troops—in over a century and could potentially leave the British military able to field only one full strength division in the event of major hostilities. Cutbacks in British airpower have also been evident, especially in the fight against the Islamic State (IS) where British planes contribute only about 10 percent of coalition air strikes against the jihadist organization.

The future of the British nuclear deterrent also is in question. A decision needs to be made soon if the UK is to maintain its small fleet of nuclear capable submarines and Trident missiles, but sentiment within Cameron’s Conservative Party is divided over the need for a future nuclear deterrent.

SEE COMPLETE TEXT