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The UK is very unlikely to just sit and watch China be troublesome.

• idlewords 7y ago
  They are probably already drafting the strongly-worded letter
• NeedMoreTea 7y ago
  The UK has spent 22 years sitting and watching China be troublesome in HK, uttering barely a word. Chris Patten (the last governor, former chairman of the Tory party and despised by Beijing) has repeatedly criticised government and Tory party for it. UK has precious little leverage left except trade sanctions, which is a far weaker lever as we leave the EU. Nonetheless HKers have taken out ads targeting UK gov requesting sanctions be imposed: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jul/24/hong-kong-activists-target-uk-government-with-ad-campaign https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jul/24/hong-kong-acti...
  • steve19 7y ago
    To be fair I think they had no power, only influence, inside the EU. Now they have no influence but only a small amount of power and no real leverage. Given China's silk road deals with Italy, I don't think any EU action will be forthcoming UK or no UK.
    • NeedMoreTea 7y ago
      Very true, on both counts. Though laughably UK was once respected for what it brought to international relations. Had UK been a more willing EU member they may once have been able to galvanise some EU action. The problem for anyone contemplating China sanctions is we got too dependent on them, making sanctions too expensive.
• steve19 7y ago
  Unlike France the UK has long since checked out of being a colonial power. And even if they wanted to do so, the great naval power that was Britian seems unable to stop Iranians from hijacking their ships.