A senior Tory took a brutal swipe at former boss David Cameron over his stance on China at present.
Security Minister Tom Tugendhat aimed a pointed jibe on the ex-Prime Minister who as soon as hailed a “golden era” of relations with Beijing and took Chinese Premier Xi Jinping for a pint down his native pub. Mr Tugendhat, who has been a fierce critic of the Chinese Communist Party, reposted a Foreign Office tweet exhibiting former Tory chief Mr Cameron shaking fingers with Sebastien Lai. Mr Lai’s father Jimmy Lai – a Hong Kong politician – has been held by the Chinese authorities following their brutal human rights crackdown.
The Foreign Office posted: “Foreign Secretary @David_Cameron met with Sebastien Lai in London today to listen to his concerns for his father, Jimmy Lai, detained in Hong Kong. The UK opposes the National Security Law and will continue to stand by Jimmy Lai and the people of HK.”
Mr Tugendhat stated: “I guess the golden era is over.” The remark was a taunt at Mr Cameron, who made a shock return to frontline politics final month when he was drafted in as Foreign Secretary. He now sits around the Cabinet desk with Mr Tugendhat who, whereas not a Cabinet Minister, attends the weekly conferences due to his function targeted on safety.
In October 2015, Mr Cameron hosted the Chinese President at The Plough at Cadsden, close to Princes Risborough, Bucks, as a part of a five-day State Visit. The pair had been on a visit to the then PM’s sixteenth Century nation retreat, Chequers. “It’s going to be a very important moment for British-Chinese relations, which are in a very good state, something of a golden era in our relationship,” predicted Mr Cameron.
Since then, relations have been something however golden. A parliamentary researcher was arrested amid allegations he was a Chinese spy, which he denied. MI5 issued a separate warning about Chinese infiltration of Westminster because it named an “agent of influence”. Meanwhile, Chinese agency Huawei was banned from having a job in Britain’s 5G community.
Mr Tugendhat was first elected to Parliament in 2015 when Mr Cameron led the Conservatives to a shock election victory, successful the occasion’s first majority for 23 years. He has been a longstanding critic of the Chinese regime.
In March 2021, he was amongst 5 MPs sanctioned by China for spreading what it claimed had been “lies and disinformation” in regards to the nation. Beijing took the motion in retaliation for measures imposed by the British Government over human rights abuses in opposition to Uighur Muslims. China has held Uighurs at camps in Xinjiang, the place allegations of torture, compelled labour and sexual abuse have emerged.
At the time, Mr Tugendhat was chairman of the Commons Foreign Affairs Select Committee and likewise the Conservatives’ China Research Group. He stated then: “I view this as a direct assault on British democracy and an attempt to silence the British people who have chosen me to speak for them.” Chinese overseas ministry spokeswoman, Hua Chunying, insisted Beijing China was compelled to behave “in self-defence” in response to UK sanctions “based on lies”.