Liu Xiaoming said China had always respected UK sovereignty. Reuters
Liu Xiaoming said China had always respected UK sovereignty. Reuters
Liu Xiaoming said China had always respected UK sovereignty. Reuters
Liu Xiaoming said China had always respected UK sovereignty. Reuters

Beijing-London relations ‘poisoned’ over Hong Kong dispute, says Chinese diplomat


Jamie Prentis
  • English
  • Arabic

Britain has poisoned relations with China and will pay a price if it treats Beijing with hostility, the Chinese ambassador to London warned on Thursday.

Liu Xiaoming criticised the UK’s alleged interference in its former colony of Hong Kong and said that Britain’s vision of global trade after Brexit would not be realised if China was excluded.

Mr Liu told reporters that “decoupling from China means decoupling from opportunities, decoupling from growth and decoupling from the future”.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has banned Chinese company Huawei’s participation in the 5G mobile network – after US pressure – because of security concerns and criticised the mistreatment of the Uighur ethnic minority in China’s Xinjiang province.

The British government has also suspended its extradition treaty with Hong Kong after China introduced a security law there that detractors say would limit freedom of speech and reduce territory's autonomy. China says the legislation is needed to keep Hong Kong safe.

The UK has also set out how nearly three million residents of Hong Kong already eligible for British Overseas passports could apply for an expanded visa and eventually gain full British citizenship.

"These actions have seriously poisoned the atmosphere of the China-UK relationship," Mr Liu said. "China respects UK sovereignty and has never interfered in the UK's internal affairs.

"It is important the UK will do the same – namely, respect China's sovereignty and stop interfering in Hong Kong's affairs, which are China's internal affairs, so as to avoid further damage to the China-UK relationship."

Mr Liu insisted his comments were not threats but simply an explanation of what the consequences could be of an uneasy relationship.

“If you do not want to be our partners and our friends – you want to treat China as a hostile country – you will pay the price.

"That means you will lose the benefits of treating China as opportunities, as friends. And you will bear the consequences of treating China as a hostile country."

Mr Liu also strongly hinted at the pressure the UK is under from US President Donald Trump, who has urged Western allies to move away from China.

"It's our hope that the UK would resist the pressure and coercion from a certain country and provide an open, fair, transparent and non-discriminatory environment for Chinese investment so as to bring back the confidence of Chinese businesses in the UK,” Mr Liu said.

Tensions have also ratcheted up after the removal of 12 pro-democracy candidates for the coming Hong Kong elections, who authorities said were not fit to stand.

UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab condemned the move. “It is clear they have been disqualified because of their political views.”

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Everton - Ronald Koeman

Manchester City - Pep Guardiola

Manchester United - Jose Mourinho

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About Takalam

Date started: early 2020

Founders: Khawla Hammad and Inas Abu Shashieh

Based: Abu Dhabi

Sector: HealthTech and wellness

Number of staff: 4

Funding to date: Bootstrapped

The specs: 2018 BMW R nineT Scrambler

Price, base / as tested Dh57,000

Engine 1,170cc air/oil-cooled flat twin four-stroke engine

Transmission Six-speed gearbox

Power 110hp) @ 7,750rpm

Torque 116Nm @ 6,000rpm

Fuel economy, combined 5.3L / 100km

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Defence review at a glance

• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”

• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems

• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.

• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%

• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade

• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels

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Price, base / as tested: Dh94,600 / Dh159,700

Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder

Power: 252hp @ 5,500rpm

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Transmission: Nine-speed automatic

Fuel consumption, combined: 7.4L  / 100km

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Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa

Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong

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Tearful appearance

Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday. 

Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow. 

She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.

A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.

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At Everton Appearances: 77; Goals: 17

At Manchester United Appearances: 559; Goals: 253

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