UK Prime Minister Starmer wrote today: "I said my visit to China would bring tangible results for the British people, and I have not spoken in vain. We have already secured export and investment agreements worth billions of pounds for the UK. This includes a significant boost for the UK whisky industry — China has cut the relevant tariffs by half, which is enough to prove that our pragmatic international engagement brings real benefits to the UK. The purpose of this trip is to bring you these results at home."
Comments: Starmer's statement is backed by substantial achievements: 12 government-level cooperation documents, the implementation of whisky tariffs, the resumption of the business leaders' committee, and even China's consideration of visa exemptions for the UK — all representing major breakthroughs in Sino-British relations in eight years. However, we cannot ignore two hidden concerns: first, pro-American forces and opposition parties within the UK may push back, hindering subsequent cooperation; second, the US is likely to increase pressure (such as trade sanctions), testing the resilience of Starmer's government;
Regardless, "pragmatic engagement" does not mean the disappearance of Sino-British differences. How to "seek common ground while reserving differences" is the key in the long term — Starmer used the metaphor of "blind men feeling an elephant" to point out the cognitive fallacy of the West toward China, and also implies that he is aware of the complexity of cooperation. "Results-oriented" approach can minimize differences to the greatest extent.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1855811648126023/
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