London: The balance of power in the world order is tilting east with the emergence of India and China as global economies, but that does not mean America's position as the superpower is under threat, British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said today.

He said Britain plans a diplomatic surge in the Middle East and South Asia by raising the number of staff by 30 per cent to counter extremism and nuclear proliferation. It also aims at deepening engagement with Pakistan to prevent the growth of extremism, including spending an additional 80 million pounds over three years on counter-radicalisation.

 Writing in The Sunday Times, Miliband said "We need to recognise that the balance of power in the world order is tilting east, with the emergence of India and China as world economies. That does not mean America's position as the world's superpower is under threat. It does mean these countries have a key role in their regions and globally."

Emphasising that the emerging situation required a foreign policy led by clear priorities, Miliband said from April, the Foreign Office would focus its efforts on four key policy goals instead of the current ten strategic priority, "where we can make the biggest difference."

"We will put more resources into countering terrorism and nuclear proliferation. We plan a diplomatic surge in the Middle East and south Asia by raising the number of staff by 30 per cent," he said. 

 "That means we can deepen our engagement with Pakistan to prevent the growth of extremism there, including by spending an extra 80 million pounds over three years on counter-radicalisation," Miliband said.

Britain would also "prioritise" its work on conflict prevention, he said adding, "that means working better with the armed forces and international development department in places such as Afghanistan and Iraq.Third, we want to increase the link between our political work and the economic conditions that underpin it, especially in the context of climate change. The leapfrog of developing countries to low carbon energy and transport, skipping the high carbon mistakes of the industrialised world, is critical to minimising conflict over resources."

Noting that this requires a strong international system, he said, "it is not the overweening strength of international institutions that threatens the security of British people. Instead it is their effectiveness that is the issue. That is why we are right to press for all engagement in the European Union so it turns outwards to the big global challenges. It is why our position on the UN security council should be used to the full, not least to accelerate the pace of reform at the UN."

He said 2008 would show in "word and deed" what Prime Minister Gordon Brown meant when he described his government's approach to world affairs as one of "hard-headed internationalism." "In 2008 we will show in word and deed what that means," he said.

Source : PTI