China-Britain relations expected to face further challenges no matter who replaces Boris Johnson as prime minister
- Johnson had taken a tough stance towards both Russia and China, but whoever succeeds him is likely to follow a similar course
- The outgoing prime minister had wanted to promote trade links with Beijing but ended up moving closer to the US position
Right after Johnson announced his resignation on Thursday as leader of the Conservative Party following a cabinet mutiny over a series of bruising scandals, it grabbed headlines in China’s state-controlled media and social media, with many gloating about his dramatic fall from grace.
“No matter how British politics changes, we hope that the British side will take the long-term and overall situation into consideration, work with the Chinese side halfway, and promote the sustainable and stable development of bilateral relations,” he said on Friday.
However, with a hardening of negative perceptions of China in Britain, Chinese observers have cautioned against hopes that the rapidly deteriorating ties between Beijing and London will see a major turnaround under Johnson’s successor.
They said Johnson, who announced he would stay on as prime minister until a successor was named, had left a mixed legacy on foreign policy, especially when it came to China.