Attitudes to China policy in the UK
New poll finds voters support sanctions in response to Hong Kong security law
British people support tougher stance on China across a wide range of issues
A new poll for the China Research Group finds that voters support a tougher stance on China.
Coming as Beijing imposes a new security law on Hong Kong, the poll also finds that people would support targeted sanctions in response to the new law.
Asked about the new security law and protests in Hong Kong:
49% agreed that: “The UK Government should put sanctions, including travel bans and assets freezes, on the Chinese government officials involved in imposing the new law”, while only 10% disagreed.
By a margin of 61% to 11%, voters backed the idea of allowing Hong Kong citizens who also hold a British National Overseas passport to come to the UK.
By a margin of 57% to 5% voters agreed that, “Companies like HSBC, a bank which does business in China, Hong Kong and the UK, should not be supporting the new law”
Looking more broadly at issues related to China, the poll found that by a margin of ten to one (72% vs 7%) voters agree that “We should be prepared to pay a little more for things which are critical to a nation, like medical equipment and telecoms equipment, if it means being less reliant on foreign imports in times of crisis.”
By a margin of 49% to 17% voters agree: “We should not use Huawei, a Chinese Government owned company, to supply sensitive parts of our next generation mobile phone networks.”
Only 12% agreed that, “I would be happy for a Chinese company to build a nuclear power station in Britain,” while 62% disagreed.
By a margin of 55% to 8%, voters agreed with the statement that “Government should be able to block investments in British universities if it is concerned that they will lead to the loss of key technologies”
Looking at the international situation more widely, the poll found that 58% agreed that “Democratic countries should work more closely together to counter the economic and strategic influence of China,” while only 7% disagreed.
Tom Tugendhat MP said: “This poll suggests that voters want to see a clear-eyed approach to China that protects both our economic interests and our values. People in Britain want Government to stand up for our strategic interests, whether it’s ensuring we have secure access to vital medical equipment, or safeguarding new technologies from being ripped off by Beijing.
Neil O’Brien MP said: “People strongly support the action the government has taken to protect BNO passport holders in Hong Kong, and would back the government to go further with sanctions to defend human rights there. People are not impressed by firms like HSBC trying to cosy up to Beijing by backing a repressive new law.”
Notes
1. Populus surveyed 2,104 people online between 17th and 18th June 2020