The Facts
In his first major foreign policy speech, British PM Rishi Sunak said on Monday that the so-called "golden era" of UK-China relations is over, and called the idea that trade would lead to social and political reform in China "naive."
He criticized Beijing's handling of recent protests against its "zero covid" policy, which saw a BBC journalist detained and allegedly assaulted by the police. While admitting that China's importance in global affairs couldn't be ignored, he said that Beijing still poses a "systematic challenge" to Britain's "values and interests."
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
Despite signaling the end of the "golden era" in relations with China, Sunak refrained from taking an overly aggressive stance toward the country. He is well aware that the UK cannot afford to antagonize China given Britain's current economic crisis. Due to the situation at home, Sunak is more likely to focus on trade, economic stability, and domestic issues than ideology — the more pragmatic and effective option in an increasingly multipolar world.
Establishment-critical narrative
Sunak's speech has confirmed that the PM is unwilling to take the necessary steps to tackle the entrenched influence of China within the UK. It seems that he mistakenly believes it's possible to appease Pres. Xi and the Chinese regime despite continuing rights abuses and the global alignment of Beijing with Moscow. This fence-straddling approach will only undermine Britain on the world stage and cast doubt on the UK's solidarity with Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression.
