英美概况 作者 齐智英1 unit 9.pptVIP

Unit Nine British and American Foreign Relations Contents Unit Nine 9.1 British Foreign Relations The UK has diplomatic or consular relations with 169 countries and is a member of some 120 international organizations, including the United Nations (UN), the North Atlantic Treaty Organization1 (NATO) and the European Union (EU). It is one of the world’s leading trading nations and its foreign investments are among the largest in the world. It has worldwide interests because it has 13 dependent territories and several million British citizens living overseas. The Prime Minister and the Cabinet decide on the general direction of foreign policy in the UK. The Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary is responsible for the work of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office2 which administers the diplomatic service and overseas development, but many other government ministries, such as the Ministry of Defense, the Departments of Trade and Industry and the Treasury, also play a part in the services and the development. The chief objectives of the foreign policy are to enhance its security and prosperity at home and protect its interests overseas. Unit Nine 9. 1.1 The Changing UK and Its Security The UK used to be a great empire before the Second World War. But as late as 1945, some former colonies like Canada and Australia had been granted their political independence. In the following year Jordan in the Middle East won independence. In 1947, India and Pakistan were independent but remained in the Commonwealth of Nations. The next year Burma and Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) were granted independence and left the Commonwealth, refusing to recognize the British Queen as the head of their new states. The British Empire collapsed very rapidly. In the next few decades, the process of decolonization continued as other territories and possessions received their independence or returned to their rightful authorities. The return of Hong Kong to China took place in 1997 because of a mutual agreeme