ABSTRACT
In 2007, Chinese soldiers invaded London, capturing hearts and minds. The soldiers were over two thousand years old, made from terracotta, and there were only twelve of them. Those twelve were drawn from a vast army of seven thousand who guarded the tomb of China’s First Emperor, Qin Shihuangdi. There was a marked disparity in scale between the dozen ancient sculpted warriors, the vast army of which they were a minuscule part, and their immense impact in the UK. This symbolized the relative importance of a little bit of China for the UK, yet the apparent insignificance of the UK – and, indeed, most other countries and actors in the world – for China. This disparity is reflected even in relations between the EU and China, where the former, as a major trading block, has a large and growing trade deficit with the latter. The scale of China’s re-emergence as a global force presents challenges and chances, in parallel. Each of these is shaped by the vast inequalities involved – size matters, meaning that only sophistication and wit can enhance the position of the small against the large, in this relationship. As China grows in importance internationally, the test and the opportunity is to harness China’s increasing strength and its interests in an international setting, where mutual benefit can be found. This is the key to the UK’s approach to China, as I shall show in the present analysis. In some respects, the UK benefits from the EU context, and, in others, Britain operates despite the EU – although, broadly, as will be evident, the EU context is of great importance. I develop the study in four stages: first, investigation of the UK’s assessment of China in the future strategic context, setting the context for consideration of policy and practice in the three principal areas of UK foreign and security policy, which comprise the remaining three sections: human rights and political change; trade and finance; and finally, security and international engagement. These are considered progressively, in terms of their ultimate significance for UK security and security policy, as well as the potential for the UK to be able to make a notable difference (wherever possible with others); this concludes with the prospect of partnership activity.
