Angered by China’s handling of the coronavirus crisis, the Boris Johnson government in the United Kingdom is reconsidering an infrastructure deal, which was struck at the cost of upsetting US President Donald Trump, with China.
At least three UK officials have expressed suspicion over China and warned Beijing that “it faces reckoning once the COVID-19 crisis is over.”
The British MPs are working on re-drawing the diplomatic board by putting China in a position of answering uncomfortable questions over allegations of downplaying COVID-19 pandemic.
Further, London has accused Beijing of spreading disinformation about the severity of the coronavirus outbreak in China. Few scientists have told certain newspapers that China tampered with the coronavirus cases at least 15-40 times to downplay the crisis. “China had reported 81,439 at the time of writing,” said the report in Business Insider.
Meanwhile, the suspicion is mounting against China for expanding its economic grip in other countries it is closely working with. “China is expanding its economic power by offering help to other countries trying to combat the virus,” said the report.
“It is going to be back on the diplomatic board. Rethink is an understatement,” the officials were quoted as saying. “There has to be a reckoning when all this is over. The anger goes right to the top,” they said.
The unsparing anger has reached Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who may now review “his previous decision to let Chinese telecom company Huawei develop UK’s 5g network.” The deal was struck at the cost of upsetting an important ally – the USA, for “giving Huawei a limited but significant role in improving the country’s infrastructure,” said the report.
The Trump administration was reportedly miffed by the decision and the POTUS had expressed his disapproval before hanging up in an apoplectic phone call with Johnson last month.
The decision to strike an infrastructure deal didn’t go well with swathes of MPs in Johnson’s own Conservative Party. “We can’t stand by and allow the Chinese states desire for secrecy to ruin the world’s economy and then come back like nothing has happened,” said one of Johnson’s cabinet minister.
There is a sentiment to rethink these decisions as many think that by this deal they are “allowing companies like Huawei not just into our economy, but to be a crucial part of our infrastructure,’ the report said.
UK government officials are of the view that this needs to be reviewed urgently as any strategically important infrastructure that relies on Chinese supply chains.
The UK Prime Minister has tested positive of coronavirus and written to the households of the country to practice social distancing.
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