It would be great if Britain could step out of the past

Given its coming divorce from the European Union and its desire to show it is its own master, Britain seems to feel the need to demonstrate that its status is not dependent on it being part of the European collective.

But its intended means of displaying its glorious independence in Southeast Asia will only mark it out as a troublemaker.

British Secretary of State for Defence Gavin Williamson in an interview with The Sunday Telegraph last week, said Britain would open two new military bases in "a couple of years", one in the Caribbean and the other in Southeast Asia with Singapore and Brunei as possible sites.