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According to China News Service, British Prime Minister Sunak said in his New Year's speech that after experiencing a "difficult" 12 months, the problems existing in the UK in 2022 will not "disappear" in 2023. Sunak said that the past year has been very difficult. The impact of the COVID-19 epidemic and the Russia-Ukraine conflict on the world economy has also severely affected the UK. Many Britons face unprecedented power price increases and inflation.
Sunak promised that "the United Kingdom will have the opportunity to show its best side on the world stage in 2023"; but then stated that "the United Kingdom must continue to support Ukraine." Sunak has no intention of making things better for the British. As long as the war in Ukraine lasts for one day, Europe, including the United Kingdom, will never have a good day. Therefore, Sunak had to admit in his New Year's speech that he "will not pretend that all problems will disappear in the new year."
At the same time as Sunak delivered his New Year's speech, the largest strike in British history was still continuing. Workers from almost all walks of life in the UK were dissatisfied that their wages could not keep up with the soaring inflation. After their reasonable demands were rejected, they launched strikes, and the British social order was almost paralyzed. These issues involve not just whether wages will increase, but the British government's inability to balance inflation with workers' pay increases.
Western politicians like to woo voters in exchange for their support. Sunak did not dare to "draw a pie" in his New Year's speech. This is not because he is "honest", but because no one would be willing to believe the pie he drew. The UK can be said to have had "bad luck" over the years. The negative impact of Brexit has not been resolved, and a global pandemic has emerged. Now the conflict between Russia and Ukraine has broken out again. The British economy is already in the "worst state in hundreds of years." How can it withstand the successive impacts of this series of storms?
All the problems in the UK can be summed up, and there is only one root cause, and that is caused by the economic recession. Whether it was the previous Johnson or the last British Prime Minister, Truss, their main focus was on following the United States overseas to gain a sense of presence. However, their domestic economic policies were three days of fishing and two days of netting, unable to form a systematic and effective solution to the British economic problems.
Now, Johnson has left, Truss has become the "shortest-lived prime minister" in British history, and Sunak is even more unlucky. He has to face an unprecedented general strike in the UK as soon as he takes office. Logically speaking, as the head of the UK, Sunak should give up on matters that have nothing to do with him overseas and devote all his resources and energy to solving all thorny domestic problems. However, the actions of those in power in London are exactly the opposite of what the British people expect.
While the London authorities are unwilling to let go of the Ukraine issue, they have recently made a stupid decision that is not conducive to Sino-British cooperative relations, that is, they cooperate with the United States in disgusting China. According to Global Network , the British Ministry of Health and Social Security recently claimed that starting from January 5, 2023, international passengers departing from China will need to present a negative nucleic acid certificate within 48 hours before boarding.
If the British government made such a decision out of domestic epidemic prevention needs, there is nothing wrong with it. But the problem is that the British government has previously stated that it "has no plans to resume the COVID-19 testing process for international travelers from China and other countries." Reuters said that the British government went back on its word on this issue just to coordinate with the United States and Japan. rather than expert opinion. In addition, the " guardian " also claimed that this was a "major decision" made by Sunak after being criticized by conservative MPs.
By requiring Chinese citizens entering the country to present nucleic acid test certificates, the UK is following the instructions of the United States to politicize the issue in order to show its US masters its "tough attitude" towards China. In response, the Norwegian Health Authority ridiculed that some countries’ restrictions on Chinese tourists were just a show.
In contrast, the embassies and tourism bureaus of most countries in the world, including New Zealand , Norway and Germany, have posted on social platforms to express their welcome to Chinese tourists.There is no doubt that those vassal countries that followed the instructions of the United States and implemented travel restrictions on China and made things difficult for Chinese tourists entering the country were simply struggling for money.
The London authorities implemented travel restrictions on China in order to please the United States. It is self-evident that this move has caused troubles to Sino-British cultural exchanges and economic and trade cooperation. China is the UK's second largest trading partner and one of the main destinations for Chinese tourists and students to travel and study. London politicians' blind obedience to US instructions will only bring more negative impacts to the exchanges and cooperation between China and the UK. From this point of view, the British economy in 2023 will not only continue the problems left over in 2022, but will also add more new problems.
