Deterrence through balanced strength rather than panic

Which potential threat could justify defence policy to the British public?

Russia and China can support a case for balanced deterrence without being presented as inevitable enemies of Britain.

Preparation for war does not require a desire for war. Russia and China need not be portrayed as inevitable enemies for their power to create conflicts of interest that require deterrence. A state that expects its counterpart to give way may keep pressing until one demand finally triggers resistance and war. Deployable strength changes that calculation by making negotiation safer than coercion. The inadequate Anglo-American ability to stabilize East Asia against Japan in the 1930s contrasts with Imperial Germany's risk fleet, which could neither support the army's war plan nor defeat the Royal Navy. Deterrence requires enough balanced power to negotiate confidently without assuming panic, hostility, or inevitable conflict.