It is time to dispel the myth of the decline of Western powers in the global geopolitical order, UPI quoted British Foreign Secretary William Hague as saying in California. Hague delivered a speech at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California. Reagan, U.S. president from 1981-89, is credited with ending the Cold War without the use of direct military force. Hague said the foreign policy coordination with the United States endured because of the long-standing belief in the spread of democratic and economic freedom. "The stronger our relationships are elsewhere in the world the more we can do to support each other and our allies," he said in a speech published Wednesday. "Foreign policy is not a zero-sum game -- we can pursue parallel efforts keeping our alliance as Western nations at the center of our thinking and endeavors." A zero-sum game describes a competitive model where one side's wins equal the other side's losses. A report this week from IHS Jane's Defense said Western powers like the United States are losing to emerging Asian powers when it comes to the global arms race. Hague said Western powers should counter the narrative of inevitable decline. "It is time to re-energize and extend our diplomacy and seek to lead and work with others in new ways," he said.
