UK slammed by China over accusations related to Ukraine Conflict
China has condemned the UK’s accusation that it was providing “lethal aid” to Russia amid the Ukraine crisis. This claim made by the UK’s defence secretary have even been questioned even by its master ally, the USA.
British defence minister Grant Shapps accused China on Wednesday of providing or preparing to provide Russia with lethal aid for use in its war against Ukraine, Reuters reported. The irony is that it is the UK and its allies who have been supplying Ukraine with all the military Ordnance and thus preventing any peace negotiations.
In fact US national security adviser Jake Sullivan said Washington had not observed that China had directly provided weapons to Russia and added that he would speak with UK colleagues to better understand the defence secretary’s comments, according to the Financial Times.
Given that British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s Conservative Party badly lags in the polls ahead of July elections, the Conservatives will undoubtedly seize every opportunity to take a strong stance against China, experts said.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said “We condemn the UK politician’s groundless and irresponsible vilification of China. We noted the fact those remarks from the UK side were not even seconded by USA.”
Let me be clear, it’s the UK, not China, that has been fanning the flames on Ukraine. It’s reported that two years ago when Russia and Ukraine were close to an agreement to end the conflict, it was the UK, among others, that jumped in the way to stop it and the conflict has continued since, Wang noted.
“Just as China and the international community work hard to cool down the situation, the UK side once again made irresponsible remarks. “ The British defence secretary made the accusation, against the backdrop of the UK hyping the so-called threat of close China-Russia ties and pushing for increased defence spending within NATO.
The UK has been ramping up efforts to hype China-related issues as London aligns more closely with Washington in foreign policy, some experts said, while also noting that a smear campaign has been intensifying with the upcoming general election.
The current Conservative government is in a precarious period, which is why Sunak is calling for an early election as a last-ditch effort. In this context, it is difficult to interpret the statements of the UK government’s cabinet members as strategic or planned actions regarding China.
The political cost of such claims is low, with no regard for credibility. Such claims are only made to grab attention, extend political life, and gain favour with anti-China forces.
The fact is that vilifying China will not get the UK out of its difficult spot on Ukraine, still less solve the UK’s thorny domestic issues. Instead of falsely accusing China, they need to take a hard look at what role the UK itself has played on the Ukraine issue.
While some experts believed that UK voters care most about issues related to their livelihoods rather than China-related topics, some said the Conservatives will undoubtedly seize the opportunity to take a strong stance against China, given that its polling lags behind Labour’s.
