Jeremy Hunt has said there is “no reason” why Britain cannot continue to have good relations with China, despite an escalation of the dispute over Hong Kong.
In his Today programme interview, the foreign secretary refused to outline what sanctions he could impose on China, after the country’s ambassador in London was reprimanded by the UK’s top diplomat.
The Foreign Office and Beijing have been involved in a spat following a call from Mr Hunt not to use the protests in Hong Kong as a “pretext for repression”.
China’s foreign ministry hit back and ambassador Liu Xiaoming lambasted the UK Government over its approach.
But Mr Hunt said: “We have good relations with China… there’s no reason why that can’t continue.
“But, for us, it is very important that the ‘one country, two systems’ approach is honoured.”
Asked to spell out what the consequences might be, he said: “No foreign secretary would ever spell out precisely what would happen in a situation like that – you need what Bill Clinton called strategic ambiguity.
“The reason that you wouldn’t spell it out is because you don’t want to provoke the very situation you are trying to avoid.
“I’m not saying anything about what those consequences might be – that would not be the right thing for me to do as Foreign Secretary, because, of course, you keep your options open.
“But I am making the point that the United Kingdom views this situation very, very seriously.”
An FCO source said Mr Liu had been hauled in for a meeting on Wednesday with Foreign Office chief Sir Simon McDonald, the head of the diplomatic service, following the “unacceptable and inaccurate” comments from China’s ministry of foreign affairs.
The turmoil in Hong Kong has seen protesters storm parliament and raise the old British colonial flag in the legislative chamber on the 22nd anniversary of the territory’s return to Chinese rule on July 1.
