China and West Cooperation: Is the Golden Era Over?

It is important that China and the West ensure that their relations do not slide further. It is important for both sides to refrain from a zero-sum approach and that they cooperate on important global issues. At the same time, countries wary of China’s increasingly aggressive behaviour, under the leadership of Xi Jinping, need to come up with a cohesive strategic and economic vision to counter the same. 

British PM Rishi Sunak in his speech at the Lord Mayor’s Banquet in London on November 28, 2022, flagged the need for the UK to change its policy vis-à-vis China, arguing that the ‘golden era’ of UK-China relations was over. Sunak said that the UK needed to adopt a more realistic approach towards China. Former Conservative PM, David Cameron, who also belonged to the Conservative Party had used the term ‘golden era’ while commenting on the state of ties between the UK and China in 2015. While commenting ahead of a state visit to the UK by Chinese President Xi Jinping, in October 2015, Cameron had said: “It’s going to be a very important moment for British-Chinese relations, which are in a very good state, something of a golden era in our relationship.”

Sunak during his address at the Lord Mayor’s banquet argued that the long-held premise that trade relations with China would ultimately lead to political and economic reform was faulty. In 2000, the then US President, Bill Clinton, while commenting on the benefits of China’s entry into the World Trade Organisation (WTO), had said: “Membership in the W.T.O., of course, will not create a free society in China overnight or guarantee that China will play by global rules. But over time, I believe it will move China faster and further in the right direction, and certainly will do that more than rejection would.”

Also Read: A Rundown of Sports Diplomacy

Growing consensus in the West for adopting a new approach vis-à-vis China

While Former US President Donald Trump was the first western leader to take an aggressive stance vis-à-vis China on economic issues — his successor Joe Biden has also followed a similar course — there has been a growing bipartisan consensus in the UK, Canada, and Australia with regard to the need for a more pragmatic and hard-nosed China policy which is not worried about economically penalizing China for its human right abuses in Xinjiang and Hong Kong as well as meddling in the domestic politics of countries like Australia and Canada. During his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the G20 Summit at Bali, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau raised the issue of China’s interference in Canada’s domestic politics. Later on, the Chinese President expressed his displeasure to Trudeau for leaking details of the meeting.

There has been a growing bipartisan consensus in the UK, Canada, and Australia with regard to the need for a more pragmatic and hard-nosed China policy which is not worried about economically penalizing China for its human right abuses and interference in the domestic politics of countries like Australia and Canada.

Timing of Sunak’s speech

The British PM also stated that China would pose a greater threat to British values as it moves ‘towards even greater authoritarianism’.

The speech came at a time when strains between London and Beijing had risen after a BBC journalist, Ed Lawrence covering a protest in Shanghai against China’s stringent COVID policies, was detained for several hours, and according to a BBC spokesperson, was ‘beaten and kicked by the police’  (Lawrence was released after several hours of detention).

Ties between China and the UK have deteriorated in the aftermath of COVID-19 and China’s imposition of the National Security law in Hong Kong.

Increasing importance of the Indo-Pacific

It would be pertinent to point out, that not just the US, but other western countries – UK, Canada, some European nations – and Australia have been seeking to reduce their dependence upon China and looking for alternate markets. They have also been tightening FDI rules in order to prevent Chinese investments which pose a threat to national security (the latest country to move in this direction is Canada).

While Australia is a member of the four-nation Quad (which also consists of the US, India, and Japan), UK and Canada have also been paying greater attention to strengthening economic ties with the Indo-Pacific. Australia’s Parliament approved a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with India on November 22, 2022, while Canada released its Indo-Pacific strategy which sought to enhance trade and security ties with the Indo-Pacific and also dubbed China as an increasingly ‘disruptive global power’. During the ASEAN Summit at Phnom Penh as well as the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit, the US highlighted the strategic and economic importance of the Indo-Pacific region.

Also Read: America is Back – Or is it?

It is important for both sides to refrain from a zero-sum approach and cooperate on global issues such as climate change, as was highlighted by both Xi Jinping and Joe Biden during their meeting at Bali G20 Summit.

Rishi Sunak too spoke about the need for the UK to improve ties with the Indo-Pacific. Said Sunak during his address: “By 2050, the Indo-Pacific will deliver over half of global growth compared with just a quarter from Europe and North America combined. That’s why we’re joining the Trans-Pacific trade deal, the CPTPP, delivering a new FTA with India and pursuing one with Indonesia,” 

Sunak while flagging the importance of the Indo-Pacific and the need for a fresh approach vis-à-vis China did warn against a ‘cold war mentality. US President Joe Biden during his meeting with Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the G20, at Bali, had also stated that Washington was against a ‘new cold war’ with China.

Also Read: China’s Perspective on the US Indo-Pacific Strategy: A Scholarly View

In conclusion, it is important that China and the West ensure that their relations do not slide. It is important for both sides to refrain from a zero-sum approach and cooperate on global issues such as climate change (this point was highlighted by both Xi Jinping and Joe Biden during their meeting at Bali, and also in Canada’s Indo-Pacific strategy). At the same time, countries wary of China’s increasingly aggressive behaviour under the leadership of Xi Jinping need to come up with a cohesive strategic and economic vision that will prevent Beijing from arm-twisting vulnerable countries.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are of the author solely. TheRise.co.in neither endorses nor is responsible for them. Reproducing this content without permission is prohibited.