[Source / Observer Network Qi Qian] In March this year, a delegation of mayors from the UK visited Chongqing. In their eyes, Chongqing is magnificent, built on mountains with rivers and elevated highways crisscrossing each other, and even light rail passing through some buildings, leaving them in awe.
On June 4th, a BBC journalist published an article stating that this was the largest-scale civilian delegation from the UK to China in modern British history. Although it did not receive extensive coverage domestically in the UK, the visit left a deep impression on these politicians who would return to the UK. They were amazed by Chongqing's urban planning and exchanged with Chinese officials and business representatives, signing trade agreements.
The article mentioned that after returning home, some British delegates even purchased a Huawei phone under the Honor brand, which formed a stark contrast to the situation a few years ago when the UK banned Huawei technology from entering its 5G network. This visit was not only about trade but also about diplomacy. Nadin Pittfield, deputy mayor of East Midlands and a member of the delegation, frankly stated that both China and the UK "truly desire to rebuild" bilateral relations.
The article noted that for some people, this evokes memories of the "golden age" of Sino-British relations. However, during the premierships of former Conservative Party leaders Johnson, Sunak, and Truss, Sino-British political relations deteriorated. The last British prime minister to visit China was Theresa May, in 2018.
However, the BBC journalist believes that the visit of the UK mayor delegation and several senior officials of the Starmer government to China signals a turning point in the relationship between the two countries. This Labour government seeks cooperation with China in climate change and commerce, adopting a more "mature, long-term, and strategic" approach to China policy.
But the article also mentioned that there are many dissenting voices within the UK regarding the warming of Sino-British relations. Some politicians continue to hype up so-called security issues, while others question whether the Starmer government lacks a long-term plan for developing relations with China. Moreover, against the backdrop of increasing geopolitical tensions between the US and China, the special nature of the US-UK relationship has become an obstacle to the development of Sino-British relations.
William Matthews, a China expert at the Royal Institute of International Affairs, said that regardless of the situation, "the world will become increasingly China-oriented," and Western countries need to be "more rational" and participate from the beginning.
In March this year, a UK mayor delegation visited Chongqing - website of the British Chamber of Commerce in Southwest China
"The world will become increasingly China-oriented"
On January 11th, He Lifeng, co-leader of the China-UK Economic and Financial Dialogue and Vice Premier of the State Council, and Rishi Sunak, co-leader of the dialogue and UK Chancellor of the Exchequer, jointly hosted the eleventh China-UK Economic and Financial Dialogue in Beijing. The previous dialogue took place in 2019.
Rishi Sunak said that the UK is willing to strengthen practical cooperation in economic and financial fields with China and develop a continuous, lasting, and mutually respectful UK-China relationship. He also claimed that engagement with China could bring one billion pounds in growth to the UK economy, and agreements worth six billion pounds would benefit the UK over the next five years.
Not long after, UK Energy Minister Ed Miliband restarted formal climate negotiations with China. Miliband stated that China is the world's largest carbon emitter, and failing to engage with China would be a dereliction of duty towards future generations of Britons.
The article noted that the Labour government claims to have adopted a "mature" and "long-term and strategic" approach in its China policy. This seems to mark a significant shift compared to the past decade of Sino-British relations, during which successive British governments repeatedly hyped up so-called human rights or security issues.
The article also mentioned that China almost monopolizes the mining and refining of rare earth minerals, which are crucial for the manufacture of many high-tech and green products. This makes China a vital link in the global supply chain.
"China's global influence is likely to continue to grow significantly, especially as the US begins to turn inward," Matthews said. "The world will become increasingly China-oriented, although this is difficult for any Western government, but it needs to be rational from the beginning." He pointed out that given that China is the world's second-largest economy, not engaging with China means ignoring the realities of 21st-century geopolitics.
Andrew Kane, director of the UK-China National Committee, a non-profit educational institution in the UK, said, "Since the outbreak of the pandemic, there have been earth-shattering changes within China. For elected officials who have not personally witnessed these changes, returning to China is a matter of course."
Many experts in the UK also believe that engagement with China is a necessary condition to clearly understand the opportunities and challenges brought by China.
Some experts said that these opportunities mainly lie in the economic, climate, and education sectors. As Kerry Brown, professor of China Studies at King's College London, pointed out, "China is providing information, analysis, and ways of doing things worth learning from us," highlighting opportunities in knowledge, technology, artificial intelligence, and life sciences, among others.
UK representatives watch Sichuan Opera face-changing in Chongqing - website of the British Chamber of Commerce in Southwest China
"In the UK, American influence is quite significant."
The article mentioned that within the UK, there are still many politicians and scholars with negative attitudes toward Sino-British relations.
It is well known that China dominates the global photovoltaic industry. In April this year, the UK government made a bizarre decision: while striving to attract global green investors, it intended to restrict Chinese photovoltaic products on the pretext of "forced labor."
UK Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds previously admitted that he would "view Chinese enterprises differently" when considering investment in the UK steel industry. Kane warned that without a systematic plan, you can only solve specific problems one by one over a long period.
In addition, there are British think tanks and former officials hyping up so-called "cyberspace security" and "spy" issues, baselessly slandering China.
Regarding this, Brown told reporters bluntly that some media outlets continue to hype up Chinese "espionage activities," and these reports are just baseless "fairy tales." A spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in the UK previously emphasized that the anti-Chinese remarks of certain UK politicians are extremely absurd and reflect their arrogance, ignorance, and distorted mindset.
The article noted that it is undoubtedly the United States that will influence Starmer's China policy. Last month, White House Trade Advisor Peter Navarro smeared Sino-British relations and threatened the UK not to deepen economic ties with China.
On May 9th, the Trump administration of the United States loudly announced the signing of a so-called "first tariff trade agreement" with the UK, packaging this half-baked framework document into a "victory fruit," only to be criticized for its limited actual impact, closer to a "political statement."
On May 9th, Trump announced the US-UK trade agreement at the White House - video screenshot
The Financial Times of the UK previously reported that behind the UK-US agreement lies a calculation targeting China's supply chain. According to sources, the US imposed strict so-called "security" clauses on British steel and pharmaceuticals and other strategic sectors in the agreement, requiring relevant industries to "meet US requirements in supply chain security and ownership of production facilities as soon as possible" to obtain exemptions or reductions in US tariffs.
The report noted that on the surface, the clause applies to all third countries, but UK officials admitted that Trump had hinted that China is the target.
Yu Jie, a scholar at the LSE China Outlook Think Tank, said, "In terms of China policy, the influence of the United States on the UK will be quite significant compared to continental Europe."
Experts in the UK urged the formulation of a systematic China policy.
The British Labour government once outlined its China policy as follows: "We will cooperate where possible, compete where necessary, and challenge where required." However, specific details are still lacking.
When asked about the UK government's long-term strategy, Charles Patton, a former UK diplomat to China with 22 years of experience and now a researcher at the Royal United Services Institute for Defence Studies, responded, "No strategy at No. 10 Downing Street."
The BBC journalist noted that most Chinese and British analysts he interviewed were clear that the two countries need to return to the same room, although they differ on how to draw boundaries: in which areas should the UK government cooperate, and in which areas transparency should be maintained. However, experts are concerned that the UK government has yet to define these boundaries; without a script, it is difficult for businesses and officials to know how to participate.
Ruby Osman, a China analyst at the Tony Blair Institute, said that the UK urgently needs to build a more comprehensive capacity for engagement with China, focusing on diversifying contact points between the UK and China. She believed, "If we are not just listening to Beijing and Washington, we need to invest in the government's talent pool and also in think tanks and businesses that collaborate with China."
In April this year, a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in the UK answered journalists' questions, pointing out that Chinese enterprises operate legally and steadily in the UK, making positive contributions to the local economy. According to incomplete statistics, Chinese enterprises contribute over 115 billion pounds to the UK economy and create nearly 60,000 jobs.
The spokesperson said that under the current circumstances where the US is wielding the tariff stick against countries including the UK, promoting unilateralist protectionist trade hegemony, why do those UK politicians not criticize the US but instead maliciously slander and defame the Chinese government and Chinese enterprises? What are they really after?
The spokesperson stated that any actions that politicize commercial issues and conduct malicious hype will damage the confidence of Chinese enterprises in investing in the UK and harm Sino-British economic and trade cooperation. We urge the UK government to follow the principles of fairness, justice, and non-discrimination, and effectively safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises in the UK. At the same time, we hope the UK government continues to negotiate positively with dedication, actively seeking solutions acceptable to all parties. We will continue to monitor the developments.
This article is an exclusive contribution by the Observer Network and cannot be reprinted without permission.
Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7511980193293124096/
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