Why is there not yet a cross-party policy toward the way Britain handles China? After all, we have cross-party support on Ukraine and Russia.
Like oil and water, intelligence does not mix well with public debate, and the current spy case would be better handled with less damage behind the scenes by mature politicians.
The Labour government is still finding its feet. The Conservatives snap around like playground bullies.
The Liberal Democrats could take a lead here by making clear that the security of the nation stands way above political scalp hunting and click-bait sound bites for the 24-hour news cycles.
The Christopher Berry and Christopher Cash story is a single, low-level element within Britain’s complex China relationship.
Yet it is causing immense damage, weakening government and undermining our intelligence community which cannot afford its work being aired in public.
Only a very small number of people would know how this case does or does not slot into wider operations on China, some involving agents and allies such as the U.S., Australia and others.
What we do know, however, is that China trade helps our economy. Beijing is a shareholder in major infrastructure projects, has built illegal military bases in the South China Sea, is violating human rights in Xinjiang, Hong Kong and domestically and has a long-term policy of globally expanding its authoritarian influence.
What a paradox!
Our failure to define what China is and how to handle it has left us flailing in a semantic swamp on whether we are dealing with a threat, challenge, rival, enemy or something completely different.
And little wonder people are confused.
Barely ten years ago, the Conservative government ignored intelligence advice and declared our ill-fated ‘Golden Era’ with China inviting it to invest in critical infrastructure including nuclear power and telecommunications.
Our political system can chop away at plenty of government flaws, but on this one the main political parties must show maturity and competence by buckling down, listening, learning and forging a cross-party policy.
If they can do it with Russia, they can do it with China. Or does there first need to be war?
* Humphrey Hawksley is a member of the Hammersmith and Fulham Local Party and on the Executive of the Liberal Democrat European Group.
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2 Comments
Boy o boy what a balancing act will be needed here. Presumably we need China for economic reasons but can’t ignore her human rights abuses or scientific espionage. I agree that we are going to need a conversation on a national and international level before China overtakes the west especially in the military field.
Too big, too powerful, too rich.
That’s what you get when you outsource your industries and the emissions that go with it.
The West couldn’t care less about the human rights abuses; it’s been doing lucrative business with despots in the Middle East for decades. Scratch beneath the surface of the meaningless condemnation—nothing gets in the way of making a buck.