UK-China ties hurt by defense secretary's threats: Chancellor
Britain’s Chancellor of Exchequer Philip Hammond has criticized the country’s defense chief for irritating China with a series of military threats, saying London should adopt a milder tone vis-à-vis Beijing as it seeks better economic ties with the Chinese after Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union.
Hammond said on Thursday that Defense Secretary Gavin Williamson had caused problems in UK-China relations by vowing to send an aircraft carrier to the South China Sea, where China is involved in a territorial dispute with several countries in the region.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4, Hammond admitted Williamson’s comments had caused the Chinese to call off planned trade talks with the UK.
“It's a complex relationship and it hasn't been made simpler by Chinese concerns about Royal Navy deployments in the South China Sea,” said Hammond.
The finance minister said he was “disappointed that the Chinese have reacted in the way that they have”.
Sources close to Williamson have insisted that his speech last week about the use of “lethal” force against countries that “flout international law” had been approved by Prime Minister Theresa May's chief of staff and the National Security Adviser.
That comes amid criticism about the British government’s ambiguous policy when it comes to dealing with China. London has been desperate to broaden its cooperation with the world’s second largest economy in a bid to offset the shocks of living the EU at the end of March.
However, the government has also been accused of trying to please the United States by countering China’s rising influence in the South China Sea region.
Hammond said London was supposed to be careful in its way of handling China if it wanted better economic cooperation with Beijing in future.
"I think that it is very important that we manage this relationship with China very carefully,” he said.
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