Analyst: UK PM Candidates Try to Out-Hawk Each Other, Follow US Lead in Anti-China Stance

On July 24, former British Chancellor Rishi Sunak pledged to get tough on China if he becomes the UK's next premier, calling the People's Republic the "number one threat" to Britain and the world's security.

"The recent initiative by Rishi Sunak proves that the UK is not a sovereign country but a country which follows Washington’s lead," explained Adriel Kasonta, a London-based foreign affairs analyst and former chairman of the International Affairs Committee at conservative think tank The Bow Group.

"British elites bank on the so-called ‘special relationship’ with the US, not on the geo-economic reality. In fact, they’re willing to sacrifice UK’s prosperity on the altar of US hegemony and a misguided attempt to save the unipolar moment."

Following Boris Johnson's resignation, his party fellows and former members of his cabinet embarked on a political contest to fill his shoes. Foreign Secretary Liz Truss is the other high-profile contender for the position.

While the battle for the premiership intensifies, China has come to the forefront of the debate. Earlier this week, Truss lambasted Sunak for being soft on Beijing, prompting the former chancellor to immediately turn on his rival and claim that she had been weak on China, going on to designate the People's Republic "the number one threat."

However, Sunak's recent statement comes in stark contradiction with his previous policies. In January, it was Sunak who asked Treasury officials to revive the UK-China Economic and Financial Dialogue, last held in 2019, in a bid to reset the countries' relations, according to The Telegraph.

"Keeping in mind that Liz Truss is way ahead of Sunak in proving her utility to the Anglo-American crusade against China, Sunak has been forced to out-hawk her in its anti-China stance," said Kasonta.

Meanwhile, the former chancellor's Sinophobic rhetoric comes in addition to the anti-Chinese tone set in London by FBI Director Christopher Wray and the head of MI5, Ken McCallum, earlier this month, according to the foreign affairs analyst. The two intelligence chiefs made a joint statement in the beginning of July, calling Beijing the "biggest long-term threat to economic security."

As if that were not enough, Sunak has also pledged to set up a NATO-style alliance to counter China, not specifying, however, what he means precisely.

"Judging on his recent tweets, he probably has in mind a plethora of meaningless yet catchy acronyms that only seem to serve marketing purposes," said Kasonta. “This includes QUAD and AUKUS. Not sure if the US would allow Britain to establish any alliance independently. In this sense, Mr Sunak confirmed [the] UK’s unwavering support for the US jingoism in the currently existing form, with a blank check for any additions to this emerging foreign policy madness in the future."

Currently, the anti-China rhetoric is not only dominating the Tory party but the entire political elite in the UK, according to the analyst. In particular, he cited the recent statement from former Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair, who urged western elites to stand up to Beijing.

Kasonta expects that the UK establishment will further ramp up its Sinophobic narrative: "As long as it is in the interest of the British political elite, which, as I have already explained, is currently synchronized with one of the US global empire’s elite," he said. "As Boris Johnson’s premiership proved, national problems are of secondary importance."

When it comes to the Truss-Sunak power contest, the analyst projects that Liz will lose.

"[Sunak's] advantage is his Indian background, and the Anglosphere perceives India as a critical partner in countering China," explained Kasonta. "After all, it was former Prime Minister David Cameron who famously argued in 2015, during PM Modi's visit to the UK, 'It won't be long before there is a British-Indian prime minister in 10 Downing Street.' Soon we shall see if Britain is #Ready4Rishi."