Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn’s plug for Marx not enough to win Beijing over
China prefers the bilateral stability offered by Britain’s Conservative Party, analysts say.
Public praise for communist theorist Karl Marx by British Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn last month may not be enough to win him favour with Beijing.
China’s government has enshrined Marxism in its constitution and shares remote ideological roots with the Labour Party, but it might still prefer a Conservative victory in Thursday’s general election for the sake of predictable bilateral ties, analysts say.
British voters are scheduled to go to the polls in the first election since the country voted to “Brexit” and leave the European Union. Whether Prime Minister Theresa May receives a direct mandate or is toppled by opposition leader Corbyn will determine the details of Brexit and have an impact on Sino-British ties.
China has a longstanding policy of not commenting on the internal affairs of other countries. But with Britain a key trade and investment partner of China’s, Beijing would prefer to see as few uncertainties as possible stemming from the election, according to the observers.
“There will certainly be many twists and turns in the relationship. It would be better if the Conservatives stay on in terms of policy consistency,” Cui Hongjian, director of European Studies at the China Institute of International Studies, said. “Moreover, the current government has shown a positive attitude towards a closer relationship with China.”