Since the general election this year, one could reasonably say that Labour have avoided standing by any of their strongly-worded statements and commitments on handling the UK’s relations with China.
In opposition, the Labour Party were vocal in pushing the Conservatives to be more robust on human rights in China and on the way the UK handled China’s aggressive (and sometimes illegal) behaviour on UK soil. David Lammy, along with many other Labour parliamentarians, as well as allies in other parties, all worked hard to force the Tories to stand stronger against China and their constant stream of transgressions.
But now Labour are in government, and the time for foreign trips, grand halls and presentations has arrived. Instead of coming up with a new way of dealing with China, Labour are ploughing into the same old, and tired, old excuses of needing to boost the economy.
The Labour Party is perfectly placed to start from a clean sheet and redraw the lines of the relationship. They could reduce reliance on Chinese money and investment and work with universities to find alternative funding streams, redraw the fee structures to encourage more students from Europe and take in fewer from China. Maybe even shut Confucius Institutes and Chinese Students and Scholars Association, both of which are used to spy, intimidate and report on the activities of Hong Kong students, as well as on Tibetan and even other Chinese students. Immediately expelling any diplomats engaged in illegal activities wouldn’t be a bad idea either.
The introduction of a cross-departmental China strategy group who hold regular meetings to share information would also be welcome. A holistic approach is required for Whitehall to develop its plans in managing UK relations with China on trade, technology, security and other issues.
We should be working to forge closer relations with Taiwan. It is a democratic country with vast technological skills which we can rely on, and they would be strong allies in global institutions. As Mandarin speakers, the Taiwanese could replace Confucius Institutes for those wanting to learn the language, and we could work with them on security issues as a trusted friend. China would obviously threaten the UK with all sorts of recriminations, but perhaps the time has come to call their bluff. Let’s not forget that China needs the UK and wants our friendship, just as much, if not more, than we need China.
The UK should also speak up for the causes that matter to us on the human rights and justice front. Lammy should actually call the Uyghur genocide a genocide, as he promised to in opposition. On Hong Kong, he should be demanding the immediate and unconditional release of British citizen Jimmy Lai. The time for seeking mere consular access has passed. Releasing Jimmy Lai should be a precursor to advancing any new trade deals and not just a human rights side note.
However, the signs are not good for those hoping that Labour will be different to the Conservatives. Only three months in government and, for some reason, China is the country chosen for a state visit. Why not the US, France, Germany or another major ally?
Labour made a big show of its plans to hold an ‘audit’ of the UK’s relations with China. So rather than visiting them, would it not be more wise to hold learning sessions with MPs who have been sanctioned, with exiled Hong Kongers or Chinese dissidents or with families of political prisoners? Why not speak to businesses who have suffered infiltration and interference? Why not listen to warnings and advice from the security services and parliamentarians who have conducted official inquiries?
Signs are also not good when David Lammy and the Prime Minster have invited Peter Mandelson into the fold. He claims that the Hong Kong legal system is intact and independent, despite British judges resigning their positions in protest of the degradation of the legal system. And more recently, Keir Starmer has hired the former TikTok communications manager as his own.
It’s true that the Conservatives aren’t blameless either. They had the chance to more fully reverse David Cameron’s so-called ‘Golden Era’ of UK-China relations which seems to have failed so spectacularly. China has aligned itself with Russia in the war against Ukraine and has firmly placed its hat in the Iran camp, signing a 25-year cooperation agreement and taking over 90% of the country’s crude oil supplies. We cannot pretend that we don’t know that China is not aligned with us on most issues around the world.
David Lammy has a chance to be a statesman and not a salesman. He has a chance to be a forward thinker with long-term plans for national security. He has a chance to rise above the constant threats and fear of recrimination from China that we would not entertain from other countries. The question is, is David Lammy the man to take the opportunities in front of him?
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