Rishi Sunak has signalled the end of the “golden era” of relations between Britain and China, using his first major foreign policy speech to warn of the creeping authoritarianism of Xi Jinping’s regime.
As police in China launched a show of force in an attempt to contain the highest levels of civil disobedience seen in decades, the prime minister threw his support behind protesters by condemning Beijing’s “crack down”, as well as the assault of a BBC journalist.
Sunak suggested a hardening of diplomatic relations and branded China a “systemic challenge to our values and interests”, while also confirming that the UK’s defence and security strategy for the next decade, known as the integrated review, would be updated in the new year.
However, he stopped short of calling China a threat, admitting western countries could not ignore its influence and ability to help with shared challenges such as economic stability and climate change.
The move marked an abrupt change from his more hardline stance while running for the Conservative leadership , sparking criticism the speech was “thin as gruel” and an “appeasement”.
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