Sunak Says ‘Golden Era’ With China Is Over, Rejects ‘Cold War Rhetoric’

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak speaking at the annual Lord Mayor's Banquet at the Guildhall in central London on Nov. 28, 2022. Belinda Jiao/PA Media

The so-called “golden era” of the Sino–British relationship is over, the UK’s Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Monday.

But Sunak dismissed what he said is “simplistic Cold War rhetoric,” saying he will stand up to the UK’s competitors with “robust pragmatism” instead of “grand rhetoric.”