1/2 @realDonaldTrump friends speak frankly so I will: these comments are disrespectful and wrong to our Prime Minister and my country. Your diplomats give their private opinions to @SecPompeo and so do ours! You said the UK/US alliance was the greatest in history and I agree... https://t.co/hNeBWmyyVN
— Jeremy Hunt (@Jeremy_Hunt) July 9, 2019
Source:
https://scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3018602/post-brexit-uk-will-need-friends-so-why-pick-fights-china-and-us Letters
Post-Brexit UK will need friends: so why pick fights with China and the US?
- Leading candidates for British prime minister have managed to offend the leaders of the two largest economies in the world
Boris Johnson (left) and Jeremy Hunt, leading candidates for Britain’s next prime minister, haven’t just sparred with each other as of late. Photo: Handout via Reuters
By its words and actions, Britain has alienated its three most important international partners – the US, EU and China. Britain is in the process of leaving the European Union through Brexit, while UK Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt has offended both US President Donald Trump and the Chinese government.
Earlier this month, former UK foreign secretary Boris Johnson, who is competing with Hunt to be prime minister, said he backed the Hong Kong protesters against the now dead extradition bill “every inch of the way”.
Hunt has refused to rule out sanctions against China and expelling Chinese diplomats from Britain over the extradition bill and protests against the bill in Hong Kong. On July 10, Hunt chided China for censorship, and called for imposing “a diplomatic price” on governments that restrict media freedom.
In a tweet on July 9, Hunt said Trump was “disrespectful and wrong” in his behaviour towards UK Prime Minister Theresa May and Britain. Hunt’s tweet came after Trump called Kim Darroch “a very stupid guy”. Darroch resigned on July 10 as British ambassador to the US, after his emails painting the Trump administration in an unflattering light were leaked.
For a while during World War II, Britain stood alone against Germany, but the US later came to Britain’s aid. Once again, Britain is standing alone.
Even as Hunt confronts China over Hong Kong, it is open to question whether Trump will back the UK after Hunt publicly criticised the US president.
After Brexit, Britain will have more urgent economic need for strong ties with the US and China. Is the heated anti-China rhetoric from Hunt and Johnson just part of their competition to win over Conservative voters who will choose the next prime minister later this month? Perhaps the new prime minister, whoever he is, will mend ties with China.
Toh Han Shih, Happy Valley