British parliamentarians generally believe that engagement with China is becoming increasingly important, seeking a balance between cooperation and competition.

British parliamentarians generally recognize that engagement with China is becoming increasingly important.

Scholars at King's College London in the UK believe that the country’s policy toward China is currently facing a practical dilemma: balancing economic interests while managing security and value-based differences, making sustained contact with China a necessary choice.

A July 10 article published on the academic analysis and commentary website East Asia Forum stated that the UK is not seeking to return to the so-called “golden era” of the past, but rather, acknowledging the existence of competition, aims to maintain pragmatic communication with China.

Zeno Leoni, lecturer in the Department of War Studies at King's College London and author of the article, said that as a major global economy and an important participant in international affairs, China cannot be entirely avoided by the UK.

Leoni argued that given Britain’s economic weight, military strength, and role in shaping broader international order, it has no alternative but to engage with China.

He noted that cross-party MPs broadly acknowledge this reality—despite ongoing disagreements over how such engagement should be conducted—and that in an era marked by declining confidence in the long-term reliability of the United States, constructive engagement with China has become increasingly vital.

The article mentions that Prime Minister Starmer’s visit to China in January this year was the first by a UK leader in eight years. This visit is seen as a significant diplomatic move following a period of cooling in Sino-British relations, though it does not signal a full normalization of ties. The cooperation reached between the two sides mainly focuses on combating organized crime, migration, visas, and future investment areas.

Leoni pointed out that UK-China policy is constrained by multiple factors, among which the influence of the United States stands out. Through NATO, the "Five Eyes" alliance, and the AUKUS trilateral security partnership with Australia and the US, the UK maintains close ties with Washington, making it difficult to fully diverge from U.S. positions on China strategy. At the same time, domestic concerns in the UK regarding cybersecurity and dependency on critical infrastructure further limit the government’s room for maneuver in its China policy.

The article notes that the Starmer government is currently adopting a “cautious engagement” approach—neither reviving the so-called “golden age” of the Cameron era nor abandoning vigilance toward security risks—but rather striving to strike a balance between cooperation and competition.

Leoni also emphasized that in a world of high economic interdependence, there is no “perfect China policy” capable of simultaneously satisfying economic interests, security needs, and value-based objectives. The UK’s renewed efforts to strengthen communication with China reflect more pragmatic considerations than a fundamental shift in policy.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1870324112063564/

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