The growing tensions between United Kingdom and People's Republic of China reached a new height on Tuesday with the Communist state issuing a clear threat to Britain. Chinese government says it will launch a 'forceful counter-attack' in response to UK government's decision of suspending its extradition treaty with the Asian giant.
Yesterday, British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab announced in his country's Parliament that the government has taken this decision and implemented it with immediate effect. "The government has decided to suspend the extradition treaty immediately and indefinitely," Raab stated.
He also added: "We will not consider re-activating those arrangements, unless and until there are clear and robust safeguards, which are able to prevent extradition from the UK being misused under the new national security legislation."
Chinese Response
As expected, China is fuming with anger. "China will make a forceful counter-attack to the UK's wrong actions. China urges the UK to give up its fantasies of continuing colonial influence in Hong Kong and immediately correct its mistakes," Wang Wenbin, the spokesperson of Chinese Foreign Ministry boldly stated to the media on Tuesday.
The root of the problem lies in a new security law that the Chinese government has enacted for Hong Kong. This law is considered as impinging on the autonomy and freedoms promised to people of Hong Kong by the Chinese government when it was handed over the island in 1997 by the British government.
Slew of Issues
The Chinese government has further aggravated the problem by using force to quell the protests and anger that have erupted in Hong Kong over this law. Coming at this time, when the Chinese are also being accused of mishandling Coronavirus pandemic, hiding crucial information, and persecuting Muslim Uighurs of Xinjiang, there was bound to be some action from the UK side.
Already, the British government has relaxed rules for Hong Kong citizens who seek citizenship of the UK. This too hasn't gone down well with Beijing. To add fuel to the fire, Boris Johnson's government decided to ban equipment of Chinese tech giant Huawei from its 5G network.
The Foreign Secretary Raab has also announced that his country would be bringing the territory of Hong Kong under the existing arms embargo against China. All these actions come at a time when several other western and some non-western countries are also in a mood to confront China over a slew of issues.
Growing Unpopularity
USA President Donald Trump has been attacking China for mishandling the Coronavirus that originated in Wuhan while Australia has been involved in a feisty verbal and diplomatic duel with the Communist regime also. One of China's neighbors, India, too, has been posturing aggressively against the Xi Jinping-led regime after a bloody and fatal border clash.
