Britain’s bid to become China’s best friend in the West is over

One consequence of this crisis is that nearly everyone in the Tory party has become a China hawk. Tomorrow sees the launch of a new China Research Group of Tory MPs. The CRG will examine Beijing’s industrial policy, its approach to technology and its foreign policy.

But perhaps the most striking thing about the group is its membership. Its chair is Tom Tugendhat, chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, its Secretary is Neil O’Brien, a former adviser to George Osborne. Other members include former Cameron SPAD Laura Trott and Boris Johnson’s old economic adviser Anthony Browne. The fact that these former Cameron and Osborne aides are in this group shows how much Tory thinking on China has changed since the days of ‘the new golden era’ in UK / China relations.

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Ross Clark

Britain is living beyond its means

Hawkishness on China is going to be one of the issues that binds together the new Tory electoral coalition.