Rishi Sunak declares ‘golden era’ between UK and China over as he calls for new approach
Rishi Sunak has said the “golden era” between the UK and China is over as he called for a new approach to the Chinese government.
The prime minister, speaking at the Lord Mayor’s Banquet at London’s Guildhall, criticised China’s human rights abuses but said the UK “cannot simply ignore China’s significance in world affairs”.
Mr Sunak was criticised during this summer’s leadership campaign for being soft on China but he used his speech on Monday to show he will not stand for its actions, saying things are not black and white when it comes to China.
‘Utterly extraordinary scenes’ as protesters shout ‘down with China’ – live protest updates
“We also need to evolve our approach to China,” he said, as he laid out his stance on foreign policy.
“Let’s be clear, the so-called ‘golden era’ is over, along with the naïve idea that trade would lead to social and political reform.
“But nor should we rely on simplistic Cold War rhetoric.
“We recognise China poses a systemic challenge to our values and interests, a challenge that grows more acute as it moves towards even greater authoritarianism.”
In 2015, then chancellor George Osborne echoed the Chinese ambassador’s claims that China and the UK were in a “golden era” of bilateral relations, but by 2020 relations had somewhat soured under Boris Johnson’s government.
Mr Sunak acknowledged the current protests against COVID lockdowns in China – a rare sight in a country where demonstrations are not a common sight, and have not been since the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre.
He said, instead of listening to people’s concerns, the Chinese government “has chosen to crack down further” as he mentioned the arrest and beating of a BBC journalist this weekend.
Mr Sunak was set to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in Indonesia during the G20 summit earlier this month but the meeting was cancelled after NATO members had to hold an emergency meeting after a Polish village near the Ukrainian border was bombed.
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Why are people protesting in China?
The PM hit out at China’s lack of freedom of expression as he said both the media and British MPs must be able to report on human rights abuses, such as those in Xinjiang and Hong Kong “without sanction”.
But, he said there is no way the UK can “simply ignore China’s significance in world affairs – to global stability or issues like climate change”.
He added that the US, Canada, Australia, Japan “and many others understand this too” as he said together they can “manage this sharpening competition, including with diplomacy and engagement”.
“Much of this is about dramatically improving our resilience, particularly our economic security,” he said.
A protester is pinned down and arrested in Shanghai, China . Pic: AP
The PM listed actions the UK government has taken to stop China from limiting China’s influence in the UK, including new powers under the National Security and Investment Act.
He also mentioned the government blocking the £63m sale of semiconductor manufacturer Newport Wafer Fab to Chinese-owned Nexperia two weeks ago and the removal of Huawei’s 5G network from the UK.
Mr Sunak also spoke of the UK being a country “that stands up for our values, that defends democracy by actions not just words” but as the world evolves “so does our application of those values”.
He said the UK’s “adversaries and competitors plan for the long-term” as he mentioned Russia and China and said the UK will “make an evolutionary leap in our approach”.
Anti-lockdown protests have been taking place across China
The PM said the UK will increase the “quality and depth” of partnerships with like-minded countries around the world and said more details will come next year, including how the UK will work with “friends in the Commonwealth, the US, the Gulf states, Israel and others”.
And just hours after meeting Ukraine’s First Lady Olena Zelenska in Downing Street, he said there should be no doubt the UK “will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes”.
Mr Sunak concluded his speech by saying: “Under my leadership we won’t choose the status quo. We will do things differently.
“We will evolve, anchored always by our enduring belief in freedom, openness and the rule of law and confident that in this moment of challenge and competition our interests will be protected and our values will prevail.”
A woman has been arrested after 12 people were reportedly injured in a stabbing at Hamburg’s central train station in Germany.
An attacker armed with a knife targeted people on the platform between tracks 13 and 14, according to police.
They added that the suspect was a 39-year-old woman.
Police at the scene. Pic: AP
Officers said they “believe she acted alone” and investigations into the stabbing are continuing.
There was no immediate information on a possible motive.
The fire service said six of the injured were in a life-threatening condition, three others were seriously hurt, and another three sustained minor injuries, news agency dpa reported.
The attack happened shortly after 6pm local time (5pm UK time) on Friday in front of a waiting train, regional public broadcaster NDR reported.
A high-speed ICE train with its doors open could be seen at the platform after the incident.
Railway operator Deutsche Bahn said it was “deeply shocked” by what had happened.
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Four tracks at the station were closed in the evening, and some long-distance trains were delayed or diverted.
Hamburg is Germany‘s second biggest city, with the train station being a hub for local, regional and long-distance trains.
In mid-May, the World Health Organisation assessed that there were “nearly half a million people in a catastrophic situation of hunger, acute malnutrition, starvation, illness and death”.
“This is one of the world’s worst hunger crises, unfolding in real time,” its report concluded.
Warning: This article contains images of an emaciated child which some readers may find distressing
Israel‘s decision this week to reverse the siege and allow “a basic level of aid” into Gaza should help ease the immediate crisis.
But the number of aid trucks getting in, so far fewer than 100 per day, is considered dramatically too few by aid organisations working in Gaza, and the United Nations accuses Israel of continuing to block vital items.
Israel-Gaza latest: Gaza enduring ‘atrocious death and destruction’, UN boss warns
“Strict quotas are being imposed on the goods we distribute, along with unnecessary delay procedures,” said UN secretary general Antonio Guterres in New York on Friday.
“Essentials, including fuel, shelter, cooking gas and water purification supplies, are prohibited. Nothing has reached the besieged north.”
Nineteen of Gaza’s hospitals remain operational, all of them are overwhelmed with the number of patients and a lack of supplies.
Baby Aya at Rantisi hospital in northern Gaza is dangerously thin
“Today, we receive between 300 to 500 cases daily, with approximately 10% requiring admission. This volume of inpatient cases far exceeds the capacity of Rantisi hospital, as the facility is not equipped to accommodate such large numbers,” Jall al Barawi, a doctor at the hospital, told us.
At least 94% of the hospitals have sustained some damage, some considerable, according to the UN.
Jall al Barawi, a doctor at Rantisi hospital
Paramedic crews are close to running out of fuel to drive ambulances.
The lack of food, after an 11-week blockade, has left thousands malnourished and increasingly vulnerable to surviving injuries or recovering from other conditions.
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Children are the worst affected.
Our team in Gaza filmed with baby Aya at the Rantisi hospital in northern Gaza. She is now three months old and dangerously thin.
Her skin stretches over her cheekbones and eye sockets on her gaunt, pale face. Her nappy is too big for her emaciated little body.
Aya’s nappy is too big for her emaciated little body.
Lethal spiral
Her mother Sundush, who is only 19 herself, cannot get enough food to produce breastmilk. Baby formula is scarce.
Aya, like so many other young children, cannot get the vital nutrition she needs to grow and develop.
It’s a lethal spiral.
This is what Aya looked like shortly after she was born
“My daughter was born at a normal weight, 3.5kg,” Sundush tells us.
“But as the war went on, her weight dropped significantly. I would breastfeed her, she’d get diarrhoea. I tried formula – same result. With the borders closed and no food coming in, I can’t eat enough to give her the nutrients she needs.”
“I brought her to the hospital for treatment, but the care she needs isn’t available.
“The doctor said her condition is very serious. I really don’t want to lose her, because I lost my husband and she’s all I have left of him. I don’t want to lose her.”
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Aya and her mother Sundush
Some of the aid entering Gaza now is being looted. It is hard to know whether that is by Hamas or desperate civilians. Maybe a combination of the two.
The lack of aid creates an atmosphere of desperation, which eventually leads to a breakdown in security as everyone fights to secure food for themselves and their families.
Only by alleviating the desperation can the security situation improve, and the risk of famine abate.
World
Police launch ‘major operation’ after 12 people injured in knife attack at Hamburg train station
Twelve people are reported to have been injured after a knife attack at Hamburg’s central train station.
A “major operation” has been launched and a suspect was arrested, police said in a post on X.
The identity of the suspect has not been revealed.
Reports in Germany said the suspected attacker was a woman.
The fire service said six of the injured were in a life-threatening condition, three others were seriously hurt, and another three sustained minor injuries, news agency dpa reported.
Bild newspaper said the motive for the attack was so far unknown.
Hamburg is Germany’s second biggest city, with the train station being a hub for local, regional and long-distance trains.
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