All Roads Lead to Beijing

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Western leaders are flocking to China. What could be the reason?

According to Bloomberg, British Foreign Secretary David Lammy is “considering a visit to China”. Although the dates and main objectives of the trip have not yet been announced, the agency claims that Lammy will go to reset bilateral relations.

This seems plausible, as British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced before his appointment in July that the government would conduct an “audit” of relations with China. Bloomberg notes that tensions between London and Beijing have risen significantly recently. In May, British officials accused Chinese hackers of stealing personal data from British military personnel. That was followed by accusations that China aided hackers who stole data from British voters. Beijing has categorically denied all of these allegations.

The last time a senior British official visited China was in 2023, when then Foreign Secretary James Cleverly visited Beijing in August last year. In July this year, David Lammy met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi during a conference of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Following their talks, they agreed to establish long-term channels of communication. Lammy separately stressed that Chinese companies should not supply Russia with equipment that could be used against Ukraine. Naturally, the Chinese side responded with its usual stance: don’t interfere in relations with third countries.

However, last year’s visit by the British Foreign Secretary was also made under the banner of resetting relations and followed a five-year hiatus in such visits by the reticent British. On that occasion, James Cleverly behaved with the utmost courtesy and, while touching on sensitive issues, did so in the most courteous manner.

During the visit, he said that London was «soberly assessing» its differences with Beijing, but that this should not prevent the two countries from building a «pragmatic and sensible working relationship». In his view, trying to isolate the world’s second largest economy — a «large, influential and complex country» — would be a big mistake. In the end, both sides were satisfied with each other, but the bilateral relationship did not advance significantly. More recently, political issues imposed on the British by their senior partners have loomed large over the relationship: Taiwan, minorities in China, human rights in Hong Kong, and so on.

Now there’s a new team in Downing Street that apparently thinks it can do better and has decided to try again. Especially since the British economy, like that of Europe as a whole, is not in the best shape and needs to find a new footing somewhere.

However, London is lagging somewhat behind other European capitals on this path of resetting relations with Beijing. As we recall, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni recently visited China and was received with conspicuous pomp and hospitality. She went out of her way to assure Chinese leaders of her willingness to develop mutual cooperation. This came a month and a half after the G7 summit she chaired issued a communique accusing China of military support for Russia and other threats to the democratic world. The Chinese Foreign Ministry called the document “false, full of prejudices and old clichés, with no legal basis and no moral justification. Nevertheless, the visit culminated in a basic agreement on cooperation for the next three years and a number of other documents. “Global instability is increasing, and I believe that China is an important mediator in solving all these problems,” she said. Chinese President Xi Jinping made it clear that he sees relations with Rome as part of a broader engagement with Europe. «We hope Italy will understand and support China’s development concept and play a constructive role in promoting dialogue and cooperation between China and the EU», he said. It was clear, however, that Beijing even sees Italy — the only NATO and G7 country involved in China’s Belt and Road Initiative — as a facilitator in resolving complex issues with a united Europe.

Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly visited China in mid-July. She was also quite diplomatic, convincing her Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, that Ottawa is interested in strengthening partnerships in business and trade, tourism, drug trafficking, climate change and environmental protection. Overall, the visit was considered a success.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz visited Beijing in April. China is Germany’s biggest economic partner. But last year, under pressure from Brussels, Berlin adopted a special strategy on Beijing that calls for reducing dependence on China in critical areas. Moreover, through the efforts of the Brussels bureaucracy led by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the EU has adopted a series of measures to limit access to the European market for Chinese high-tech products. Raising tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles could not only hurt Sino-German trade, but also German investment in China.

It is difficult to give a clear answer as to why Western leaders are flocking to China and trying to soften their policies toward China within the framework of Euro-Atlantic unity at the bilateral level. On the one hand, this reflects China’s growing global political weight. On the other hand, there is an obvious desire to maintain good trade and economic relations with the world’s second largest economy and world trade leader, in order to secure their share of the dividends from China’s rapid and high-tech development. They are driven by their own unenviable economic conditions, exacerbated by the transition from cheap Russian hydrocarbons to expensive American ones. Then there are the influences of domestic political factors and complex interactions within coalitions that also affect the actions of those in power.

It would be overly optimistic to suggest that Washington’s vassals are beginning to recognize their own «selves» in international affairs and their economic interests, which differ from those of the United States. It is premature to speak of a split among the «champions of democracy», although some experts are inclined to do so. However, there are objective factors that force Washington’s allies to think independently. For example, they have already agreed that Europe needs its own defense policy. Why not talk about a sovereign foreign policy? Such a policy would certainly help reset relations with China.