What this thin piece fails to crunch is the fact Global Britain is proving able to stand up for itself and interests facing China better than Global Germany or Global France. The EU has no clear China policy but Brexit Britain is standing up to Beijing. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/03/world/europe/johnson-brexit-hong-kong.html

What is happening is that Global Britain, in terms of London’s global role, is emerging as quite different to the depoliticised Singapore on Thames, free-trading hub many Europeans feared. Britain’s approach to China is in fact more in keeping with UK foreign policy heritage.

One EU argument, that the UK would be unable to defend itself vis-a-vis China and be crushed by superpowers is proving thin when it is Merkel and Von Der Leyen unable to make commitments or even answer on Hong Kong refugees. What yardstick is the measure for Global Britain?

It is a shame that the @nytimesworld didn’t seriously engage with what people are talking about in DC: consolidation of Five Eyes intelligence alliance and its emergence as a key platform for containing China. Britain very much building a role in America’s China strategy.