What Britain needs is a ‘grown-up’ relationship with China

Current aversion to the country has less to do with security than political discomfort, writes Vince Cable. The UK must find a way to make relations work

China’s government is unapologetically authoritarian; but that isn’t new (PA)

The Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament has criticised the UK government for lacking a China strategy. The glib response is that it does have a strategy: Washington’s. A more generous response is that it is complicated, balancing threats and opportunities, partnership and competition. Staying “frenemies”, if you will.

The tension between threats and opportunities is understood by our American allies and reflected in recent exchanges between Treasury secretary Janet Yellen, who emphasises economic opportunities and the need for cooperation on international public concerns like climate change, and national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, who sees the geo-politics and little else.