Britain uses the "espionage case" to smear China The Chinese Embassy in Britain refuted it
Source: Global Times
After the British media announced a few days ago that after the country's police arrested two British men suspected of "espionage for China," the spokesman of the Chinese Embassy in the UK issued a statement on the 11th, criticizing the statement made by British officials in Parliament on the so-called "Chinese espionage case" for "ignoring the facts and turning black and white upside down", and urging the British side to stop playing on the topic, stop interfering in China's internal affairs, stop engaging in anti-China political manipulation, and focus more on solving its own problems.
Recently, the British side hyped up the so-called "Chinese espionage case", claiming that two Britons were arrested on suspicion of providing intelligence to China. In this regard, the Chinese Embassy in the UK has earlier refuted that the incident is a self-directed political farce. According to the BBC on the 11th, one of the British parliamentary researchers accused of being a "Chinese spy" responded that he was "completely innocent." According to media reports such as Radio France Internationale, the researcher has close ties to British Security Minister Tugenhart, who often smears China, and has publicly criticized China in several areas.
While the British media hyped up, some British politicians took the opportunity to engage in political manipulation and attack each other on the so-called "China threat" issue. In the House of Commons, former Conservative leader Ian Duncan Smith claimed that Chinese spy groups may be operating at the heart of British politics was "shocking news," according to the Associated Press. The Financial Times said that weeks after the so-called "spies" were caught, British Foreign Secretary Cleverley announced his foreign policy towards China, saying that China must be "strongly and constructively engaged" and refused to call China a "threat". Today, Cleverley's approach and advocacy are met with strong opposition from China hawks in the Conservative Party. According to the BBC, some lawmakers have called on the Sunak government to officially list China as a "threat"; Some lawmakers have also declared that under the UK's latest National Security Act, China will be listed as a country with "enhanced security review".
On the 11th local time, the Chinese Embassy in the United Kingdom published a spokesperson's statement on its official website, criticizing the relevant remarks of the British side for ignoring the facts, reversing black and white, and grossly interfering in China's internal affairs, which China firmly opposed and strongly condemned. The spokesman said that China has always been a builder of world peace, a contributor to global development, and a defender of international order. "We practice the principles of mutual respect, equal treatment and non-interference in each other's internal affairs, and promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind." To say that China poses a challenge to Britain or British values is complete nonsense. ”
"[The 'China espionage case' has brought to the fore one of Britain's biggest foreign policy dilemmas today. In fact, it never really disappeared: how to deal with relations with China? The BBC commented on the 12th that China-UK relations seem to have fallen into a state of almost deep freezing, and "Sunak tried to gently warm up the cold situation", but the incident made the outside world wonder whether China-UK relations have made waves again.
However, as of the 11th, the British government still refuses to list China as a "threat" to the UK. Speaking in the House of Commons, British Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden reportedly responded that MPs and ministers were "soberly aware" of the challenges posed by China, but that it was unrealistic to "completely detach" from China. For his part, Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch said Britain had to "use the language we use very carefully", adding that calling China a "threat" would "escalate the situation". On the 11th, she also said when talking about the dependence of the British automotive industry on China, "At present, China is leading in this technology, so if we completely stop or ban Chinese products, we will not be able to achieve the goal of net zero emissions" and "You can't exclude Chinese-made products from the battery ecosystem." The European edition of the US "Political News Network" quoted a spokesman for No. 10 Downing Street on the 11th as saying that the UK's artificial intelligence security summit held in November will not exclude inviting Beijing to participate, emphasizing that the UK needs to engage with China on issues including artificial intelligence. Some analysts in Britain also support engagement with China. Olivia O'Sullivan, director of the British in the World programme at Chatham House, UK, questioned: "When understanding China is necessary, what are the benefits of disengagement?" ”
Gao Jian, director of the British Research Center of Shanghai Overseas Chinese University, told the Global Times reporter on the 12th that the British side's hype on this matter occurred shortly after the British Foreign Secretary's visit to China, which shows that the anti-China forces in the UK cannot accept the efforts to normalize diplomatic relations between China and the UK, deliberately undermining the normal development of bilateral relations, and even sacrificing the interests of their own country and people. "They have turned the so-called 'China espionage case' into a political weapon to satisfy their own political ambitions and selfish interests."
"One of the problems facing Britain today is that many politicians are too influenced by the United States, which aims to hinder China's development." In an interview with the Global Times not long ago, Secretary General of the British East Asia Commission Mak Kai-an said that some British politicians are unwilling to carry out quality inter-state dialogue with China, but intend to promote their own political agenda, which has hindered exchanges and cooperation between Britain and China. "Decoupling" from China is not the right direction for the UK's development, and the two countries should find ways to understand and respect each other and cooperate to deal with the global crisis.