China is a clear and present danger to the Britain and the West - OLEKSI GONCHARENKO

Last week in his interview with the Daily Express, James Cleverly suggested that the UK should not “pull the shutters down” on China and that it would be a mistake to not engage with China.

He is completely wrong to suggest China and its current regime is anything other than a threat to the West. China is the main strategic rival of the West. In trying to avoid a new Cold War, the West has failed to see that it is already here.

China would never be on the same side as the West - the mentality, political approach and political culture is too different. Russia and China want everyone to believe that they are cooperating for “a common prosperous future”.

In fact, this unbalanced cooperation is simply to reinforce their side against the West.

The West must minimise its dependence on non-democratic countries.

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When globalisation was only developing, the idea was that the more we are connected economically, the less likely war becomes. The result that we have today is that the West is far more dependent on Russia and China than it should have ever become.  

We should not separate economics from democracy.

The West shouldn’t tolerate Russian sportsmen at the Olympics or Russian singers performing in Europe, while Russians are committing genocide in Ukraine. The West must also stop its economic dependance on China which is committing genocide against the Uyghurs.

When a country shares the same values and ideas with us, it means that it’s easier to cooperate, we understand each other better and we have the same goals.

The simple test of whether a nation is a democracy or not should colour all our relations with other countries.

The West doesn’t develop economic and cultural relations with Iran or North Korea, does it?

Then why should the West ignore human rights in Xinjiang? Why does so much of the West ignore China’s malignant behaviour?

As it was clear from President Xi’s visit to Russia in March, they are not trying to weaponise Russia (it’s against Chinese political culture) but instead trying to persuade Russia to accept the ‘peace-plan’ by Xi which would help China to play the role of the peacemaker showing that Western democratic states failed where China did not.

If you want peace, prepare for war. China has been analysing every detail about Russia’s war against Ukraine.

It’s been learning how the West’s sanctions have affected Russia, it’s been learning how the media has reacted, and it’s been adjusting its own military strategy.

The West must do the same, it cannot afford to be caught off-guard by China.

One of the lessons we in Ukraine have learnt is that industrial warfare has not come to an end.

While modern weapons and drones have been used a lot in the present war, it’s still important to maximise the potential of our defense industry, to be ready to increase production of ammunition, tanks, fighter jets and other material.

Cleverly is right in that the UK must not ignore China.

Turning a blind eye or completely turning away from China would be a mistake.

But that does not mean you carry on as you are, that you should engage “closely and regularly”. It is naïve if he thinks China can be truly influenced by economic or diplomatic overtures.

In his remarks, he is advocating more of the same – the same policy that has allowed the West to become increasingly dependent on China.

If he does not distance himself from this position, he will simply be another in a long list of ministers who have been asleep at the wheel.

If he wants to make his mark, he should stand for what is right for the UK, what is right for the West – a new direction on China.