What is the UK signaling to the US and China?

By Sumantra Maitra
0 Comment(s)Print E-mail China.org.cn, October 23, 2015
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The biggest investment that could be done, however, is something mostly kept under wraps due to the UK"s volatile domestic politics, but China could help with future British nuclear energy projects. In moves that could have far reaching impacts, the Chinese ambassador has also discussed this with the British administration. Britain is also interested in security sharing with China, especially when it comes to cyber security.

Observing the UK's signal to the EU and the United States, we can understand how foreign policy is intrinsically linked to China-UK relations. This is a curious time in the domestic politics of Britain. War weariness is playing major part in the lives of British people, who don't share the pride of their imperial forefathers, nor their cultural sense of superiority. In fact, the pride of the British people is coming out in different ways, as protests against what they perceive American wars of hegemony where Britain is essentially relegated to a second player and junior partner.

The European Union is also not satisfied with the ongoing sanctions on Russia, as it's been proved that the sanctions are essentially hurting the European economy more in the short term than the Russian economy in the long term, as Russia is moving towards a Soviet autarky. Britain is essentially the home of many Russians and an investment center of massive Russian money, and Britain is trying to change the way it deals with International relations.

Britain doesn't have a direct clash of interest with China, unlike the United States. According to common parlay found these days among the analysts online, Britain doesn't have a dog in this fight, nor does it want to get involved in case things head south between the United States and China. All the UK is trying to imply that it wants to maintain equidistance from the two economic giants, and pursue a completely detached mercantile interest based foreign policy, without being in either camp. The plus side of this policy is it plays on British strength as a research powerhouse, and it also helps maintain a cordial position with both China and the United States. How far they can maintain that position and how far the Chinese leadership is willing to partner Britain is something that will be seen with time.

The writer is a columnist with China.org.cn. For more information please visit:

http://www.china.org.cn/opinion/SumantraMaitra.htm

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