British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said Monday night that the “golden age” between Britain and China had ended and called for a more pragmatic approach to the “systemic challenge” raised by Beijing following the Shanghai arrest of a BBC reporter.
“Let’s be clear, the famous ‘golden age’ is over, as is the naive idea that trade will automatically lead to political and social reform,” Rishi Sunak said, referring to the warming of Sino-British relations since 2015 under the direction of David Cameron.
In his first major foreign policy speech delivered at Guildhall, the City of London palace, the Prime Minister said that China now represents “a systemic challenge to our values and our interests, a challenge that is becoming increasingly apparent as the country is moving towards even greater authoritarianism.
“Instead of listening to the protests of its people, the Chinese government has chosen to repress more, even attacking a BBC journalist,” denounced the prime minister.
Close relationships
“The media, and our parliamentarians, must be able to highlight these issues without being penalized,” he insisted.
The incident only worsens already strained relations between Beijing and London, against a backdrop of strong criticism from the UK, particularly over China’s recapture of Hong Kong and recent incidents on British soil.
But if the prime minister said he wanted to “evolve” the UK’s approach to the Asian country, we should not “ignore” according to him “China’s place in world affairs.”
Source: BFM TV
