My Take | Talk tough but be ready to cave – Britain’s China strategy
- Big Brother Washington may want to confront and contain China but many of its allies prefer better trade relations instead
The United States under Joe Biden should talk tough on China but work with it whenever possible. That was a recent advice from Kishore Mahbubani, Singapore’s pre-eminent public intellectual and former top diplomat at the United Nations.
It seems Britain, if not the US, has taken his advice to heart. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, a hero to legions of “yellow” anti-government activists in Hong Kong, has denounced China’s “industrial scale” human rights abuses in Xinjiang and its violation of the Sino-British Joint Declaration over the city.
But, away from the public, there lurks a very different Raab. In a closed-door briefing to government staff, he talked candidly but his speech was secretly recorded and leaked to the press this week.
“I squarely believe we ought to be trading liberally around the world,” he said. “If we restrict it to countries with European convention on human rights-level standards of human rights, we’re not going to do many trade deals with the growth markets of the future.
“ … fundamentally I’m a big believer in engaging to try and exert positive influence, even if it’s only a moderating influence, and I hope that calibrated approach gives you a sense that it’s not just words – we back it up with action.”