British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak warned Monday that China posed a “systemic challenge” to UK “values and interests” as his government condemned Beijing after a BBC journalist said he was beaten covering Shanghai protests.
In his first major speech on foreign policy, Sunak said that the so-called “golden era” of UK-China relations trumpeted by former prime minister David Cameron was “over, along with the naive idea that trade would automatically lead to social and political reform.”

Britain would “need to evolve our approach to China” as a result, he said in his speech at the Lord Mayor’s Banquet in London.

“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,” he said.

“We cannot simply ignore China’s significance in world affairs — to global economic stability or issues like climate change. The US, Canada, Australia, Japan and many others understand this too.

“So together we’ll manage this sharpening competition, including with diplomacy and engagement,” he added.

His government will prioritise deepening trade and security ties with Indo-Pacific allies, he said, adding that “economics and security are indivisible” in the region.

While unlikely to please Beijing, Sunak’s message was somewhat toned down from that on the campaign trail, when he called China the “number one threat” to domestic and global security.

– ‘Deeply disturbing’ –

The speech came as tensions were further strained between the two nations after Ed Lawrence, working in China as an accredited BBC journalist, was arrested at a Covid lockdown protest in Shanghai and detained for several hours.