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China signals UK cooperation
China said it wants to enhance exchanges and cooperation with the UK under newly appointed Prime Minister Andy Burnham, framing the approach as “mutual respect and properly handling differences.”
““China looks to enhance exchanges and cooperation with the UK based on mutual respect and properly handling differences, and together ensure that bilateral ties will move in the right direction,””
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian told reporters in Beijing that “China looks to enhance exchanges and cooperation with the UK based on mutual respect and properly handling differences, and together ensure that bilateral ties will move in the right direction.”
Lin Jian said China’s policy and position on developing relations with the UK is “consistent” because both countries are permanent members of the UN Security Council and major economies.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry also said Chinese Premier Li Qiang sent a congratulatory message to Burnham on taking office, according to the Anadolu Ajansı report from Istanbul.
In the same context, Global Times quoted Lin Jian saying “China’s policy and position on developing China-UK relations are consistent: FM,” tying the stance to a “long-term and consistent comprehensive strategic partnership.”
UK cabinet and foreign policy
The British Foreign Policy Group described the UK’s new cabinet as led by Andy Burnham, with Ed Miliband in the Foreign Office, John Healey in the Treasury, Wes Streeting in the MoD, and Shabana Mahmood remaining in post at the Home Office.
It said trust in the government to make foreign policy decisions in the public's interest has fallen over the past year from 47% to 37%, and that a majority of Britons now actively distrust it.
The same analysis said Britons are increasingly confused and distrustful of the world, and it highlighted a precipitous drop in trust in the United States from 53% two years ago to just 27% now.
On China specifically, the British Foreign Policy Group said “young people are much more prepared to trust China than their elders,” and it argued that explaining the UK Government’s position will require the communication skills of the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary.
In parallel, The Conversation said Burnham has appointed Ed Miliband as foreign secretary and that the UK’s relationship with China is an area where it said there is “precious little to hint at what sort of policies Burnham might develop.”
What’s at stake next
The British Foreign Policy Group linked foreign policy choices to domestic constraints, saying the government has inherited defence spending commitments that will require difficult fiscal choices and that spending on defence may require cuts to other areas.
“support significantly evaporates when any trade-offs are introduced”
It also said a majority of the public support increasing spending to 3% of GDP either immediately or in the coming years, but that support “significantly evaporates when any trade-offs are introduced.”
Against that backdrop, the group said the UK’s relationship with China is one of the “most controversial foreign policy questions,” with demographic differences especially by age.
On the China-UK relationship itself, Global Times reported Lin Jian’s position that China looks to enhance exchanges and cooperation with the UK “based on mutual respect and properly handling differences.”
Meanwhile, Anadolu Ajansı reported that Lin Jian said China and the UK are both permanent members of the UN Security Council and major economies, and that China’s policy and position on developing relations with the UK is “consistent.”