【By Observer News, Liu Bai】A farce of "Chinese spy" ultimately ended in a hasty manner. The UK government refused to testify that China is an "enemy", but another group of politicians still keep talking endlessly. John Sawers, former director of MI6, is one of them.

According to the Financial Times on October 12, Sawers said in an interview that China poses a "multi-faceted threat" to the UK, and he stated that himself and the US were "confused" by the prosecution's withdrawal of charges.

Due to lack of sufficient evidence, the UK prosecutors announced last month the withdrawal of charges against two British men accused of being "Chinese spies" in 2023, and both were released without charge.

The UK Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) later revealed in a letter that the organization had repeatedly requested the government to provide evidence to prove that China posed a "threat" to UK national security, but all requests were rejected. This attitude of the government was the key reason for the CPS' decision to drop the charges against the two British men.

Sawers expressed his dissatisfaction when interviewed by The Sunday Times.

"I believe the two people accused of espionage in Parliament... if the accusations are true, their actions would clearly be illegal. Frankly, I am somewhat confused and puzzled as to why the prosecution decided to drop the case."

He continued, "I think Americans would also feel confused, since the evidence seems very clear, yet the prosecution chose to drop the case."

He also claimed that although China is an economic partner of the UK, it still poses an "intelligence threat" to the UK.

Video screenshot of John Sawers

Several days before making these remarks, Mark Sedwill, the former UK National Security Advisor, also criticized China, claiming that China "undoubtedly" posed a direct threat to UK national security, and that the sudden collapse of the spy case last month left him "genuinely perplexed".

In fact, these UK politicians are just pretending not to understand. The farce orchestrated by the British politicians ultimately ended in a hasty manner due to insufficient evidence, which exposed the so-called "Chinese spy threat" as a carefully fabricated lie for political purposes.

Reuters reported that the withdrawal of charges came as a surprise and triggered criticism from opposition MPs against the Starmer government, who accused the government of terminating the trial in order to improve economic relations with China, thus unwilling to offend China.

In response to external criticism, Starmer refuted it during his visit to India, saying that the government felt disappointed about not proceeding with the prosecution, but if responsibility needed to be assigned, it should be attributed to the previous Conservative government's policies towards China.

"The situation is very clear: the trial must be based on the established circumstances from the previous government's era," he said, "Therefore, regardless of the position of the previous Conservative government, that is the only stance that could be presented during the trial... This is not a political game, but a legal issue."

The Chinese Embassy in the UK emphasized in a statement: "We have pointed out from the beginning that the accusation that 'China instructed relevant British personnel to steal British intelligence' is completely fabricated malicious defamation, and we firmly oppose it."

"We urge certain people in the UK to stop this self-created anti-China political farce," the statement said.

Aside from this "spy case", the new Chinese embassy has also become another tool for some politicians to manipulate anti-China issues.

The Sunday Times cited a former Trump administration official, who criticized the UK's decision to drop the case, stating that the US has continuously warned allies about the "Chinese threat" since 2017, and that the US is particularly cautious when sharing sensitive intelligence with countries that may be coerced or influenced by rivals.

Furthermore, the Trump administration also obstructed China's plan to build a new embassy in London. Some US and UK officials said they were concerned because the location chosen by China is near a sensitive telecommunications hub.

Bloomberg reported on the 12th that Starmer is facing pressure from senior members within the government, who are urging him to reassess his policy towards China and take a tougher stance on the risks China poses to UK national security.

People who know the views of the relevant ministers revealed that several cabinet ministers are worried that Starmer's attitude towards China is too lenient and hope he makes a clear commitment to place national security above the economic benefits that may arise from Sino-British relations.

These people also said that at least two cabinet ministers hope the Prime Minister will refuse to approve the plan for a large new embassy in London's financial district, citing security reasons.

A person close to the cabinet ministers said that if the government approves this new embassy, it may trigger more criticism of "softness towards China" and anger the US government.

"Allowing the Soviet Union to build the largest embassy in Europe in London during the height of the Cold War would have been unimaginable. However, despite the clear national security risk, the UK government may still approve this plan under the strong diplomatic pressure from China," said Luke de Pulford, Executive Director of the International Parliamentary Alliance for China Policy (IPAC).

China has stated that the Chinese Embassy in the UK bears important responsibilities for promoting friendship between the Chinese and British people and the development of bilateral relations, and building a new office early would help the embassy better fulfill these responsibilities. Supporting and facilitating the construction of diplomatic offices is the international obligation of the host country. Both China and the UK have the need to build new embassies in each other's capitals, and both should support each other.

Analysts point out that since taking office last year, Starmer has been committed to improving relations with China. Previously, the Conservative government often raised accusations of "high-profile espionage activities and cyber attacks led by the Chinese government against the UK", which led to a cooling of Sino-British relations. Starmer's efforts are aimed at reversing this situation.

As part of a broader initiative to increase investment and promote economic growth in the UK, Starmer also met with the Chinese leader at the G20 summit held in Brazil last year.

In April this year, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, spoke by phone with the UK's Foreign Secretary Lammy. Wang Yi stated that the momentum of improved and eased Sino-British relations is hard-won and needs to be cherished. China is willing to work with the UK to follow the strategic guidance of the leaders of the two countries, eliminate various interferences and noise, grasp the direction of steady progress in bilateral relations, focus on mutual benefit and cooperation, and accumulate more positive agendas. In the current context where unilateral bullying is rampant, China and the UK have the responsibility to maintain the international order formed after World War II, the international system centered on the United Nations, and the multilateral trade system.

This article is an exclusive piece by Observer News, and it cannot be reprinted without permission.

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7560588503084548648/

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