The UK government has tasked civil servants with developing a new plan, codenamed Project Defend, to reduce the country's reliance on China for the import of key goods, such as medical supplies, amid the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak, The Times newspaper reported on Friday, citing government sources
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 22nd May, 2020) The UK government has tasked civil servants with developing a new plan, codenamed Project Defend, to reduce the country's reliance on China for the import of key goods, such as medical supplies, amid the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak, The Times newspaper reported on Friday, citing government sources.
"The coronavirus pandemic has demonstrated the importance of resilient supply chains to ensure the continued flow of essential items and keep global trade moving. That's why we're looking at what steps we can take to ensure we have diverse supply chains in place, to avoid shortages in the event of a future crisis," the newspaper quoted a government source as saying.
Project Defend will be led by Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab and consists of two separate groups of officials that have been tasked with ensuring that the UK will not be reliant on one single country for the import of strategic goods, the newspaper reported.
The bulk of the UK's medical imports originate from China and India, the newspaper stated.
London's desire to exert control over supply lines comes in the wake of a joint EU recovery proposal published by French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday. The two leaders called for greater EU sovereignty over the production of medical equipment and pharmaceuticals.
