LONDON: David Cameron says business deals worth more than £750m ($1.2bn) will be made during his tour of South East Asia.
Mr Cameron is to be accompanied by 31 UK business leaders on the trade mission, which starts in Indonesia.
The UK prime minister says he wants to forge links with the area’s rapidly growing markets for British goods and services during his four-day trip.
He will also discuss the threat of the self-styled Islamic State group and climate change during his trip.
Business Secretary Sajid Javid is leading a separate delegation to the region from the north of England.
The prime minister’s crammed itinerary will take in Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam and Singapore on a whistle-stop trade mission, the first of this Parliament.
While the EU remains Britain’s biggest trading partner, Mr Cameron has been clear the UK needs to look beyond Europe, an ambition mirrored by frustration at the EU’s level of competitiveness and regulation.
Last week, he said Britain needed to go “to the ends of the earth” to sell its wares.
The prime minster is sending a clear signal Britain must look east.
Not just to India and China, but to the largely untapped potential of South East Asia as well. By 2030, the region is expected to be the fourth-largest single market in the world.
