Britain makes shift towards pragmatism
- Rather than weigh in on the massive protests taking place in Hong Kong over the extradition bill, leaders in London focused on business deals during Vice-Premier Hu Chunhua’s visit
Pragmatism prevailed over political sensitivity when Britain clinched deals with China worth HK$4.9 billion during a trip by Vice-Premier Hu Chunhua to London. On the face of it, the timing of Hu’s visit for talks with British finance minister Philip Hammond could not have turned out worse – during the outbreak of massive protests in Hong Kong over the now-suspended extradition bill.
As the former colonial power and signatory to the Sino-British Joint Declaration, Britain was taking a close interest, as evidenced by foreign minister Jeremy Hunt’s call on the Hong Kong government to pause and reflect on a controversial change in the law.
In the long run, however, the British government had a bigger concern – that negative reaction in Britain over the protests would derail deals seen as vital to its economy amid the uncertainty over the terms of the country’s exit from Europe.
China-Britain trade deal secured, despite UK’s Hong Kong concerns
It was therefore no surprise, and a reflection of pragmatism, when the Hong Kong government’s suspension of the extradition bill met with prompt praise – and no doubt some relief – from Hunt.
That is not to say the topic was avoided altogether in the bilateral talks. It was left to outgoing Prime Minister Theresa May to raise the issue diplomatically in a meeting with Hu without blowing up the deals. A ruling Conservative Party source speculated it would have been no more than a gesture to avoid the appearance of interference.
Another example of British pragmatism amid the tension in Hong Kong is to be found in news of a concerted move by British business representatives to exploit a regional initiative with potential still unfolding for many Hong Kong businesspeople. British business associations have formed a network in the Greater Bay Area (GBA), to unearth and exploit opportunities from the scheme to integrate Hong Kong, Macau and nine Guangdong cities into a future innovation and technology powerhouse.
The GBA plan leaps out as a major opportunity for the city and British business, according to Peter Burnett, chairman of the British Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong, which has formed a joint working group with the chambers in Guangdong and Macau, the China-Britain Business Council and the Confederation of British Industry Beijing, to deepen understanding of the opportunities.
