Sunak vows to stand up to China and Russia with 'robust pragmatism'

2022-11-28

Rishi Sunak vows to stand up to global ‘adversaries’ China and Russia with policy of ‘robust pragmatism’ in first major foreign policy speech at lavish City banquet TONIGHT

The Prime Minister will rule out ‘short-termism’ and ‘wishful thinking’ in speech
Will outline vision to face ‘adversaries and competitors’ with ‘robust pragmatism’
PM will also stress the need to ‘do things differently’ with European allies

Rishi Sunak will outline his vision to stand up to ‘adversaries and competitors’ China and Russia with ‘robust pragmatism’ tonight as he makes his first major foray into foreign policy as Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister will rule out ‘short-termism’ and ‘wishful thinking’ when dealing with global problems as he pledges to stand up for British values in a speech in London.

As well as tackling the economic and political threats associated with Moscow and Beijing he will also tell international dignitaries and business leaders he will ‘do things differently’ as he stresses the need to reinvigorate relationships in Europe.

Both Boris Johnson and Liz Truss, his short-lived successor in Downing Street, were seen as taking more combative approaches with allies such as France’s Emmanuel Macron.

Mr Sunak will stress the need to adapt to new challenges and threats as the Government updates the integrated review of defence and foreign policy.

In the speech at the annual Lord Mayor’s Banquet in London’s Guildhall, Mr Sunak is expected to say: ‘Our adversaries and competitors plan for the long term. In the face of these challenges, short-termism or wishful thinking will not suffice.

‘So we will make an evolutionary leap in our approach. This means being stronger in defending our values and the openness on which our prosperity depends.

The Prime Minister will rule out ‘short-termism’ and ‘wishful thinking’ when dealing with global problems as he pledges to stand up for British values in a speech in London.

His speech comes as China is gripped by a raft of Covid-related protests, the first real challenge to the leadership of Xi Jinping.

‘It means delivering a stronger economy at home – because it is the foundation of our strength abroad.

‘And it means standing up to our competitors, not with grand rhetoric but with robust pragmatism.’

His speech comes as China is gripped by a raft of Covid-related protests, the first real challenge to the leadership of Xi Jinping.

A British BBC journalist covering protests was arrested and beaten by police officers, with Chinese officials later making the bizarre claim that he was only detained for his ‘own good’ in case he caught Covid from the crowd.

Shocking video from the anti-government protests in Shanghai shows Edward Lawrence, a camera operator for the BBC’s China bureau, being dragged away by Xi’s officers as he desperately screams ‘Call the consulate now’ to a friend.

Mr Lawrence was beaten and kicked by the police officers and held in custody for ‘several hours’ before being released, as Chinese officials sought to crack down on the media and protesters in the city.

The British journalist said today that at least one local was arrested after they tried to stop the police from beating him during his arrest.

Mr Sunak is seeking to repair relations with allies closer to home. Predecessor Ms Truss initially refused to describe the French president as a ‘friend’ while Mr Johnson frequently scrapped with him over issues such as post-Brexit fishing rights.

Even out of office, Mr Johnson has become involved in clashes with allies, with Berlin this week dismissing as ‘utter nonsense’ his claim that Germany wanted Ukraine to quickly ‘fold’ to the Russian invasion for economic reasons.

Mr Sunak has been trying to portray himself as the calmer and more sensible successor to the periods of chaos under his Conservative predecessors.

But he will maintain their firm commitment to supporting Ukraine’s resistance against Vladimir Putin’s war after meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv.

A man is arrested while people gathering on a street in Shanghai on November 27

Mr Sunak will vow to ‘stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes’ and pledge to maintain or even ‘increase our military aid next year’.

‘And we will provide new support for air defence, to protect the Ukrainian people and the critical infrastructure that they rely on.

‘By protecting Ukraine, we protect ourselves.’

Mr Sunak has been seeking to work more closely with France to tackle migrant crossings of the Channel in small boats, and with Albania to get a returns agreement for failed asylum seekers.

However, there are concerns that efforts to broker a deal with Albania have been made more difficult by Home Secretary Suella Braverman.

The nation’s prime minister Edi Rama accused her of using ‘crazy words’ and attempting to find scapegoats for the crisis by targeting his people.

The Prime Minister will stress the need to deepen ties in the Indo-Pacific as well as strengthening bonds that have been frayed by Brexit with Europe.

‘Freedom and openness have always been the most powerful forces for progress. But they have never been achieved by standing still,’ he is expected to say.

‘Under my leadership we won’t choose the status quo. We will do things differently.

‘We will evolve, anchored always by our enduring belief in freedom, openness and the rule of law and confident that, in this moment of challenge and competition, our interests will be protected and our values will prevail.’

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