Why Keir Starmer must take 'very clear threat' posed by China seriously

The fact that Xi was the dictator of an authoritarian, communist state with an appalling human rights record was brushed under the carpet, for reasons mostly concerned with the importance of Chinese imports to the UK economy.

Times have changed. Xi’s warmth towards warmongering dictator Vladimir Putin since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 has revealed much about his attitudes and raised fears he is planning a similar military expedition to conquer Taiwan.

Starmer ‘concerned’

There have also been growing concerns about hostile activities within Western democracies. Yang Tengbo – named yesterday as the alleged Chinese spy who became a confidante of Prince Andrew and was pictured with Cameron and another former Prime Minister, Theresa May – may be innocent, as he insists. However, there have been too many other warning signs to simply dismiss.

Keir Starmer, who met Xi in November, has defended his approach “of engagement, of cooperating where we need to cooperate, particularly on issues like climate change” and challenging “where we must and where we should, particularly on issues like human rights”.

However he has also admitted he is "concerned about the challenge that China poses”. Others are more convinced of the dangers, with former Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith saying: “China is a very clear threat.”

Sinister interest

Globalisation helped turn China into the second-largest economy in the world and also a military superpower. Its efforts to make others bend to its will – going so far as to warn off Edinburgh Council from striking a friendship deal with a Taiwanese city – show its eagerness to use this power.

Given the Xi regime’s sinister interest in this country and its bellicose language about Taiwan, the UK Government should be wary of over-reliance on economic ties to China and consider whether a degree of “de-risking” is required, if only to send a message.

Gold, it seems, can tarnish after all.