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HMS Queen Elizabeth (left) and other ships in the South China Sea region on July 26. Photo: Handout

China, Britain relations ‘sour’ due to warship and possible end of energy deals

  • HMS Queen Elizabeth arrives in South China Sea with flotilla after taking part in exercises with Indian Navy
  • Chinese embassy hits back at media report that London may cut China out of future nuclear power projects
The relationship between Beijing and London is expected to deteriorate further as Britain carries out military and economic actions that frustrate Beijing’s ambitions, according to analysts.
HMS Queen Elizabeth, the largest vessel ever built for the Royal Navy and capable of carrying up to 40 aircraft, entered the disputed South China Sea for the first time on Monday, leading a flotilla of ships. Meanwhile, the British government was reportedly exploring ways to remove China’s state-owned nuclear energy company from power projects.

“China receives friends with good wine and deals with wolves with a shotgun,” wrote Wu Shicun, president of China’s National Institute for South China Sea Studies, in an article commenting on the ship’s arrival. The article was published on Tuesday in the institute’s official WeChat account.

02:26

Britain’s new aircraft carrier joins Nato exercises ahead of Indo-Pacific voyage

Britain’s new aircraft carrier joins Nato exercises ahead of Indo-Pacific voyage

“Exercising ‘freedom of navigation’ should not be the purpose of this aircraft carrier, which travelled thousands of miles to be here,” Wu said. If the ship entered within 12 nautical miles of Chinese-controlled islands, Beijing “must conduct countermeasures to let them pay the price, and prevent other countries from doing the same in the South China Sea”.

HMS Queen Elizabeth’s passage through the Singapore Strait came after its flotilla joined up with the Indian Navy in the annual Konkan exercise and the news that Britain plans to permanently deploy two patrol ships in the Indo-Pacific. China and many other countries have competing claims in the region.

Britain’s HMS Queen Elizabeth to lead strike group to Indo-Pacific

London and Beijing have been at odds in recent months over issues including Hong Kong’s national security law and alleged human rights abuses against China’s Uygur Muslims.

Citing people close to the discussions, British media reported this week that the British government was exploring ways to cut China’s nuclear energy company – China General Nuclear Power Group (CGN) – out of all future power projects.

The Chinese embassy in London said on Tuesday it had noticed a report and was opposed to political interference or obstructions restricting Chinese firms’ access to British markets.

“Cooperation between China and the UK on nuclear energy is mutually beneficial,” the embassy said.

“If such cooperation is to be suspended under duress, this will be against the UK’s interest in terms of benefiting from China’s advanced technology and capital investment, developing clean energy to achieve its planned carbon neutrality goal and proving itself to be a credible global partner.”

It said the report’s accuracy had not yet been confirmed. Several British media outlets have reported the story.

Long Jing, a European affairs specialist from the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies, said Britain’s China policy could do some harm.

“Britain has many resources, such as the Commonwealth of Nations and the Five Eyes alliance, to achieve its goals, so it can wage real havoc if its actions are underestimated,” she said. The Five Eyes alliance is an intelligence-sharing arrangement that evolved during the Cold War between the United States, Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

Long also said Britain was “a very pragmatic country, it would pursue the best of its national interests and adjust its approach to China when the US-China relations become more stable”.
This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: Relations expected to worsen between London and Beijing
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