A political party's decline begins the moment it abandons common sense.
Britain's ruling Labour Party is moving to repair ties with China, with party leader Keir Starmer planning a visit to Beijing. But one persistent thorn in Sino-British relations remains: London's foot-dragging on approving China's proposed grand new embassy. China bought the old Royal Mint site and wants to build there, but anti-China forces have mobilized against it on all sorts of political grounds.
On January 17, opponents staged another big protest in London. The rally was basically a jamboree of "all five poisons"—not just the usual exiled Hong Kong independence activists, but Tibetan and Xinjiang independence flags flying everywhere. Naturally, no Labour MPs showed up. But Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch did—making her the highest-ranking political figure to grace such an opposition event.
Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch, who is of Nigerian descent
Missing the Bigger Picture
Hong Kong exiles in Britain seized on this for maximum propaganda value, crowing that even the Conservative Party leader came out to support them. I see it differently—as a sign of the Conservatives' decline. What politician with any real shot at becoming Britain's next Prime Minister would wade into such murky waters?
First, there are degrees to being anti-China. How does a rally opposing an embassy construction turn into a carnival featuring "all five poisons"? Having opinions about a country versus supporting independence movements within that country—these are two completely different things. For a major political figure to attend a rally plastered with propaganda for other countries' independence movements is itself highly inappropriate. Does this mean the Conservative Party backs Hong Kong independence and Tibetan independence? Don't talk to me about freedom of speech—politicians have the freedom not to attend extremist political rallies. If Chinese politicians showed up at rallies flying Northern Irish independence flags, how would the British government react?
Second, the Conservative Party lacks the presence of a governing party. According to old assumptions, we might think that with Labour's current abysmal approval ratings, the Conservatives would naturally take power next term—so they should act prudently and avoid extreme positions. But reality tells a different story. The Conservative Party has already declined to third-rate status. If Labour loses power next term, I'm afraid the Conservatives won't have a chance at governing either.
The Reform Party Surge
The ruling Labour Party's recent popularity has tanked, running neck and neck with the Conservatives. According to a poll published in January by British think tank More in Common, Conservative support stands at 21%, while Labour sits at 20%—the two parties evenly matched. But the far-right Reform Party enjoys 31% support, far ahead of both the Conservatives and Labour. If a general election were held, the Reform Party would achieve a sweeping victory. So no matter how you look at it, Badenoch doesn't have the bearing of a Prime Minister—she seems more like a radical white-left politician.
Third, major party politics must follow common sense. Many Western politicians now chase politically correct lines, doing whatever they think voters like—but these politically correct actions often violate basic common sense. For example, believing voters are anti-China, they specifically do anti-China things, but whether being anti-China actually benefits their own country is something they couldn't care less about.
Canada's 180-Degree Turn
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney recently visited China, comprehensively improving relations with Beijing. Just last year, Canada claimed "China is the greatest security threat facing Canada," but now Canada has turned 180 degrees, believing that compared to the United States, "China is a more predictable and reliable partner." Canada slashed tariffs on Chinese electric vehicle imports from 100% to 6.1%. China also relaxed restrictions on imports of Canadian canola and other agricultural products. Canada now strongly welcomes Chinese investment in electric vehicles and clean energy sectors—China-Canada economic and trade relations have rapidly risen to a very close level.
The premise for this change is naturally Canada facing deep pressure from the United States. Trump has threatened to make Canada the 51st state. Under this pressure, Canada seeks to improve relations with China to rescue its economy. After Prime Minister Carney's visit to China, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer are also queuing up to visit Beijing—all seeking to improve relations with China. In today's chaotic world, with Trump specifically bullying allies, improving relations with China has become the best way out for these Western countries. Western politicians only need sufficient common sense to find the answer in improving relations with China.
No Leadership Presence
Conservative Party leader Badenoch's attendance at an anti-China rally can only mean one thing: no matter how you look at it, she doesn't have the bearing to be British Prime Minister, nor the energy to lead Britain out of its predicament. By the way, the Conservative Party's election of an ethnic African leader is not "conservative" at all—it's actually quite radical. No wonder more conservative Britons have turned to support the far-right Reform Party.
Lo Wing-hung
Bastille Commentary
** The blog article is the sole responsibility of the author and does not represent the position of our company. **
