• News
    • Latest news
    • News search
    • Health
    • Finance
    • Food
    • Career news
    • Content series
    • Try Devex Pro
  • Jobs
    • Job search
    • Post a job
    • Employer search
    • CV Writing
    • Upcoming career events
    • Try Career Account
  • Funding
    • Funding search
    • Funding news
  • Talent
    • Candidate search
    • Devex Talent Solutions
  • Events
    • Upcoming and past events
    • Partner on an event
  • Post a job
  • About
      • About us
      • Membership
      • Newsletters
      • Advertising partnerships
      • Devex Talent Solutions
      • Contact us
Join DevexSign in
Join DevexSign in

News

  • Latest news
  • News search
  • Health
  • Finance
  • Food
  • Career news
  • Content series
  • Try Devex Pro

Jobs

  • Job search
  • Post a job
  • Employer search
  • CV Writing
  • Upcoming career events
  • Try Career Account

Funding

  • Funding search
  • Funding news

Talent

  • Candidate search
  • Devex Talent Solutions

Events

  • Upcoming and past events
  • Partner on an event
Post a job

About

  • About us
  • Membership
  • Newsletters
  • Advertising partnerships
  • Devex Talent Solutions
  • Contact us
  • My Devex
  • Update my profile % complete
  • Account & privacy settings
  • My saved jobs
  • Manage newsletters
  • Support
  • Sign out
Latest newsNews searchHealthFinanceFoodCareer newsContent seriesTry Devex Pro
    • News
    • UK aid

    UK aid helps countries stand up to Chinese 'bullying,' says former DFID chief

    Speaking at the Conservative Party conference, Anne-Marie Trevelyan argued for the geopolitical and security benefits of the United Kingdom's development work.

    By William Worley // 06 October 2020
    Anne-Marie Trevelyan, former U.K. secretary of state for international development. Photo by: Hannah McKay / Reuters

    LONDON — The United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office is helping lower-income countries stand up to “abuse” from China, according to former International Development Secretary of State Anne-Marie Trevelyan.

    Speaking at an event on the government’s integrated review at the Conservative Party conference, Trevelyan, who served as the Department for International Development's final secretary of state, highlighted how aspects of development policy fit into broader U.K. foreign policy goals.

    Talking about the country’s international alliances, Trevelyan said, “Looking at the work we did through DFID and now the FCDO in understanding those developing countries that are at risk of being, in my view, abused by [the] likes of China, who want to asset strip and have control and gain huge potential military advantage where they want to use it, is really important.”

    Who is Anne-Marie Trevelyan, DFID's new secretary of state?

    And what might she mean for DFID?

    She continued: “Understanding that the challenges of climate change, the management of water, the risks to so many states that are at sea level, we have to understand that those relationships are critically important. They are about nonmilitary things at the moment. But if those relationships become strong and something goes wrong, we have to have those relationships.”

    Trevelyan, who worked as a defense minister before leading DFID, said the U.K. had a “global advantage in that space,” stemming from the country’s technology, legal frameworks, and “understanding” to support “critical resource management issues.”

    This work helps “countries who would otherwise potentially be exposed to the abusive behavior of those bullying nations,” she added.

    The U.K. government’s justification for the merger of DFID with the Foreign & Commonwealth Office was to make foreign policy and development goals more aligned. But the move was strongly criticized by the development sector and some politicians, who said it risked weakening both areas and jeopardized the country’s international reputation.

    The upcoming integrated review also aims to increase alignment in the government’s international objectives, with some hints at the event about what it could contain.

    What do development advocates want from the UK's integrated review?

    Development leaders say the review is a chance to put development at the heart of U.K. foreign policy, but are skeptical about how seriously their views will be considered.

    Tom Tugendhat, chair of the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, which scrutinizes U.K. international policy, said there were “buzzwords and code words that mean something to insiders and very often mean nothing to outsiders” surrounding the review.

    “The point about the [frequently mentioned] ‘burden sharing’ … is actually this is the fundamental point about British foreign policy into the future. … Whatever happens really around the world, this policy applies,” he said.

    Trevelyan also suggested there could be an increased focus on Southeast Asia and a strong focus on maritime power.

    “The seas and oceans … link up the leading democracies of the world and indeed so many of those developing countries … that we in the new construct of FCDO want to reach and partner with, to help them to grow and become strong nations standing on their own feet,” she said. “[We] want to rely on the safety of all these waterways for our collective security, prosperity, and connectivity.”

    • Trade & Policy
    • Humanitarian Aid
    • FCDO
    • United Kingdom
    Printing articles to share with others is a breach of our terms and conditions and copyright policy. Please use the sharing options on the left side of the article. Devex Pro members may share up to 10 articles per month using the Pro share tool ( ).

    About the author

    • William Worley

      William Worley@willrworley

      Will Worley is the Climate Correspondent for Devex, covering the intersection of development and climate change. He previously worked as UK Correspondent, reporting on the FCDO and British aid policy during a time of seismic reforms. Will’s extensive reporting on the UK aid cuts saw him shortlisted for ‘Specialist Journalist of the Year’ in 2021 by the British Journalism Awards. He can be reached at william.worley@devex.com.

    Search for articles

    Related Stories

    UK AidWill the UK renege on its pledge to IDA?

    Will the UK renege on its pledge to IDA?

    UK Aid8 questions we still have about the future of UK aid

    8 questions we still have about the future of UK aid

    UK AidUK development minister rebuked by parliamentary committee

    UK development minister rebuked by parliamentary committee

    UK AidMajor for-profit contractor says FCDO business not key to its survival

    Major for-profit contractor says FCDO business not key to its survival

    Most Read

    • 1
      The power of diagnostics to improve mental health
    • 2
      Lasting nutrition and food security needs new funding — and new systems
    • 3
      Opinion: Urgent action is needed to close the mobile gender gap
    • 4
      The UN's changing of the guard
    • 5
      The top local employers in Europe
    • News
    • Jobs
    • Funding
    • Talent
    • Events

    Devex is the media platform for the global development community.

    A social enterprise, we connect and inform over 1.3 million development, health, humanitarian, and sustainability professionals through news, business intelligence, and funding & career opportunities so you can do more good for more people. We invite you to join us.

    • About us
    • Membership
    • Newsletters
    • Advertising partnerships
    • Devex Talent Solutions
    • Post a job
    • Careers at Devex
    • Contact us
    © Copyright 2000 - 2025 Devex|User Agreement|Privacy Statement