Withdrawing from the EU, Britain could upset the world order

Britain's withdrawal from the European Union (EU) could create a risk of upsetting the post-World War II world order created by the US and its allies.

People supporting Britain remaining in the EU protest in London. Photo: AP.

The majority of British people choosing to leave the EU is just one in a series of related developments that signal the possibility of a global reorganization of power, economic relationships, borders and ideologies, according to the New York Times.

Commentator Jim Yardley says that slow global economic growth has eroded people's faith in liberal economic doctrines, especially in the face of misguided economic policies and rising immigration.

Populism is on the rise in Western countries. Borders in the Middle East are blurred by civil wars and sectarian strife. China is increasingly assertive in asserting its position, and Russia is taking more adventurous actions. All of this poses an unprecedented challenge to the world order established by the United States and its Western allies after World War II.

The UK is a pillar and beneficiary of that world order. It has an important position in the United Nations (UN), plays a certain role in the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank (WB).

Now, Britain’s exit from the EU (or Brexit) has turned the country into a symbol of the cracks in that world order, weakening the bloc’s position as the world’s largest single market and a bastion of global democracy.

It also undermines the postwar unity that alliances need to maintain stability and contain the nationalism that has pushed Europe into bloody conflict, just when it is experiencing a resurgence.

"Brexit itself will not completely abolish the international order, but it will create a bad precedent, eroding confidence in the order that allied countries have worked so hard to build," said Ivo H. Daalder, former US representative to NATO.

Two days after Brexit, the Beijing-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) held its first meeting of its 57 member countries. The bank is an opportunity for China to compete with the World Bank and IMF for influence in global financial markets.

"In history, there has never been an empire that can rule the world forever," the bank's new chairman, Jin Liqun, once said of the US and Washington's Western allies.

Chinese President Xi Jinping welcomes Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing, June 25. Photo: AP.

As European leaders held a series of talks on June 25 to consider how to respond to Britain's departure, Russian President Vladimir Putin made a brief state visit to Beijing. In recent years, Putin has also faced his own troubles with Europe's economic and political isolation. According to analysts, Britain's Brexit vote was an unexpected gift for the Kremlin boss.

“Mr Putin would be rubbing his hands in glee,” said British historian Timothy Garton Ash. “A disgruntled Britain has struck a blow at the West, at the ideals of international cooperation, liberal order and open society to which Britain has contributed so much.”

After Britain’s vote to leave, Europe faces the challenge of both strengthening its unity and maintaining its influence in the world. Britain is a key member of NATO, but if its economy is weakened by its decision to leave the EU, other members of the bloc could come under pressure from their citizens to cut military spending.

"The choice of the majority of British people shows that there are many internal conflicts in Europe that are difficult to completely resolve in nature. The economic and national security consequences could upset the world order that has existed for more than 70 years. This upheaval is a trend that is difficult to reverse," said Alison Smale, former editor-in-chief of the International Herald Tribune of the New York Times.

According to VNE