Sure thing: Sino-British ties and the UK's general election
Whatever the outcome at the polls in Britain, the result will be the same for Sino-British relations
No matter who wins Thursday's fiercely contested general election in Britain, Sino-British relations will remain stable and shift only at the margins, if at all.
That was the assessment of various analysts as British voters prepared to cast their ballots in a race that was looking increasingly likely to result in a hung parliament.
Beijing would be at ease irrespective of the outcome because Sino-British ties were based more on economic considerations rather than political calculations, with the major parties in Britain acutely aware of the importance of the China market, analysts said.
Ding Chun, director of the Centre for European Studies at Fudan University, said that in terms of policy towards China, it made almost no difference if the Conservatives or the Labour Party formed the next government. "There will not be any substantial change in the current British policy towards China," Ding said.
He said the new government would follow precedent in seeking to improve economic ties with China.
"So there is not much for the Chinese government to worry about," he said.
