Britain has a chance to reset its relationship

On July 4, the British people overwhelmingly voted out Rishi Sunak’s Conservative government and handed over Labour’s Keir Starmer, giving Labour power for the first time since 2010. After years of political instability, controversy and chaos that have gripped the UK, as well as economic stagnation and recession, there is hope that the new government will provide a period of stability, reason and pragmatism in its policies both at home and abroad. Starmer, who has a huge majority, will certainly create his own vision for the country.

There is hope that the UK will be able to engage seriously and productively with one of its key economic partners, China. The previous government is guilty of damaging bilateral relations with Beijing because of the UK’s mismanagement of foreign policy as a whole.

It followed a highly ideological Brexit path, showed excessive obedience to the United States, and deliberately stoked anti-China sentiment at home to distract from its failures. Then there was opposition from some parliamentary groups that were influenced by foreign organizations.

The new government therefore offers the UK the opportunity to reset its relationship with the world on more sensible terms. While we shouldn’t expect geopolitical realities to change, and Starmer is no radical, having kicked the “anti-war left” out of his party while in opposition, we can realistically expect a foreign policy based more on pragmatism, national interest and sensitivity, as opposed to one based on ideology, identity and short-termism.

For example, the previous Conservative government was fascinated by the pursuit of a bilateral trade agreement with the United States, based solely on the assumption of exceptionalism for the English-speaking part of the country rather than on actual benefits.

Even as a protectionist, Washington has shown little interest in such a deal, with Downing Street happy to sacrifice its other interests on a whim, especially those concerning China. His routine weaponisation of anti-China sentiment for short-term political gain has also prevented engagement with Beijing, even as Sunak has said he wants to do so in some areas, falling victim to party infighting.

As a result, what we are likely to see from a Labour government is not a drastic change of policy, but certainly a rebalancing that will enable London to reestablish friendly relations with Beijing and separate areas of disagreement and cooperation. Starmer’s government is already pursuing a “reset” with the EU that has been described as “the end of the Brexit era”; in other words, an end to the Conservatives’ theatrical nationalism and imperial nostalgia, and a return to a policy focused on cooperation. When the time is right, we are likely to see this in China too.

Whereas the previous government was subject to rank-and-file rebellions, often led by highly ideologically anti-China MPs, Starmer’s large majority and insistence on party discipline means that his agenda will not be disrupted, and so rank-and-file MPs cannot impose a “cost” on the government for engaging with Beijing. For example, because of factional conflict within the Conservative Party, figures such as Iain Duncan Smith and Liz Truss have had disproportionate influence over the government’s positions on China and have constantly threatened rebellion, which has led to such glaring inconsistencies.

However, Beijing should be aware that US-funded groups and organisations, as well as the Taiwan region, will continue to press for influence with the new group of MPs, as well as hostile mainstream media, and therefore the so-called ‘golden era’ will not return. However, this is preferable to the Cold War-style conflict actively sought by some in the previous administration. Ultimately, the UK still has significant interests in a cooperative, open and mature relationship with China that can work across ideological and geopolitical differences. As the UK enters a new era, it is time for a mature ‘reset’ based on national interests.

The author is a British political and international analyst. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.