The golden age of Sino-UK relations is over: Rishi Sunak

International Desk: British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has commented that the so-called 'golden age' of UK-China relations is over. He also promised to 'evolve' the UK's stance towards the Asian superpower.

The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom said these things in his first speech on foreign policy. According to Sunak, close economic ties (with China) in previous decades were 'unwise'. The British media BBC reported this information in a report on Tuesday (November 29).

In his speech, Sunak said the UK must now plan to meet its targets with 'robust realism' towards competitors. But he cautioned against a 'war of nerves', saying China's global significance cannot be ignored.

The BBC says Rishi Sunak has faced pressure to toughen the UK's stance on China since taking over as Tory leader and British prime minister last month. In this context, Sunak's remarks at the Lord Mayor's Banquet in London came at a time when protests in China against strict Covid lockdown laws are ongoing.

Police arrested several people for taking part in the protests, and Chinese authorities detained a BBC journalist while covering the protests in Shanghai last Sunday. The journalist was beaten and kicked by the police during the arrest and was held for several hours before being released.

Pointing to this incident, Prime Minister Sunak told the country's business leaders and foreign policy experts today that in the face of protests, China "has chosen the path of further repression, including assaulting a BBC journalist".

He added, 'We recognize that China poses a systemic challenge to our values ​​and interests, and that the challenge becomes more acute as it moves towards greater authoritarianism.'

Rishi Sunak later said the 'golden age' of UK-China relations was 'over' and the idea that more trade with the West would lead China to political reform was virtually over.

The BBC says the 'golden age' of UK-China relations refers to the country's close economic relationship with Beijing under former British Prime Minister David Cameron. However, relations between London and Beijing have deteriorated since Cameron's resignation.

However, Rishi Sunak insists, 'We cannot ignore China's significance in the global context. particularly on issues such as global economic stability or climate change'.

He also said that the United Kingdom will work to "continue this intense competition in diplomacy and various fields" along with allied countries including the United States, Canada, Australia and Japan. In his words, 'It means standing up to our competitors with firm realism.'

 

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