The UK government has refused to describe China as a national security threat, reinforcing a softening stance that critics say risks appeasement. The decision follows the dropping of a spy case against two Britons accused of spying for China, sparking recriminations over Labour’s approach to Beijing.
Before the election, Labour promised to label China’s repression of Uyghur Muslims as genocide, with MPs backing a 2021 trade bill amendment. However, the party has since backtracked, dropping that commitment in October 2024 ahead of a visit to Beijing by then foreign secretary David Lammy. Critics argue Labour is hastily pursuing a return to the “golden era” of relations under David Cameron in 2015, which collapsed after China’s crackdown in Hong Kong and cyber espionage.
National security adviser Jonathan Powell, a political appointee and former chief of staff to Tony Blair, has been central to the shift. Powell, who visited Beijing in July 2025, met China’s foreign minister Wang Yi and expressed willingness to enhance dialogue. Other figures, including Peter Mandelson, have also advocated for closer ties, with Mandelson saying Britain had gone too far in its falling out with China.
Threats from China have continued, including a hack of the Electoral Commission that accessed 40 million voter records, and MI5 warnings that 20,000 Britons were approached by Chinese state actors on LinkedIn. Despite this, Chancellor Rachel Reeves visited China in January 2025, securing £600m in investment pledges over five years, though some specialists called it a poor return.
Luke de Pulford, director of the International Parliamentary Alliance on China, said Labour’s moral conviction on China policy has fallen by the wayside, sacrificed for perceived economic gain. The government insists it is taking a “long-term and strategic approach” to China, but critics warn of dangerous appeasement.
