Exclusive | Turning a new page: Britain wants to reinvigorate ties with Hong Kong and to have less megaphone diplomacy, consul general says
- Exchange of visits by ministers, collaborations in trade, investment, culture and the arts offer hope
- Robust relationship will have room for working through areas of disagreement, says Brian Davidson
There was now a “huge appetite to come back and reconnect” with the city among not just British businesses, but also in people-to-people ties given the “amazing sort of things Hong Kong has to offer”, he said.
Davidson shared his views on Britain’s ties with Hong Kong and China in an interview with the Post last week, ahead of the coronation of King Charles on May 6.
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“Obviously, we have been through some difficult headwinds in the relationship over the past four or five years. I think we are looking to lean back into a constructive engagement to see where we can collaborate,” Davidson said.
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UK consul general: Britain wants to turn a page in ties with Hong Kong, with more exchanges ahead
He cited possible collaborations in trade, investment, culture and the arts.
Davidson said there would be areas of disagreement in the relationship and it would not always be easy, but added: “The balancing act is one that governments and diplomats need to strike.”
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If the relationship was robust enough, he said, it would be able to withstand areas of disagreement and areas where both sides needed to work together.
He echoed remarks made last week by British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, who described taking a multifaceted approach to China by seeking a constructive relationship while engaging with Beijing on its “authoritarianism” where necessary.
Davidson expected British and Hong Kong officials to engage in more closed-door discussions in the future, and believed this would go further in building trust and confidence when there were disagreements.
“I don’t think that megaphone diplomacy on either side is helpful to that … I would like to see us move back to where the relationship was strong enough and comprehensive enough to be able to have those conversations when needed. And they will be needed in a discreet, private setting,” he said.
“That doesn’t mean there won’t be voices in Hong Kong or in the UK who express different views.”
On the coming official visits, Davidson revealed that education minister Christine Choi Yuk-lin would head to London later this year, in addition to Chan and Lo. The Post has learned that Chan might attend a “Hong Kong Week” event in the British capital in September while Lo planned to visit the country later this month.
Financial affairs and treasury chief Christopher Hui Ching-yu became the first Hong Kong minister to visit the United Kingdom in three years when he travelled there last month and held talks with three top British officials.
Davidson said a healthy and constructive relationship should go beyond government-to-government relations and include interactions between businesses and tertiary institutions, noting several British universities had already visited Hong Kong to renew their partnerships with local counterparts.
With Hong Kong reopening after three years of the Covid-19 pandemic, the diplomat expressed optimism that the city would bounce back, saying its rebound hinged on the availability and cost of flights.
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Davidson added that he did not buy into the notion of economic decoupling from China, with businesses withdrawing. “I don’t see how you can,” he said.
Stressing that British companies remained committed to the city, he said: “I will be hugely surprised, if you don’t see, not only no shrinkage, but growth in the number of British firms who choose to have this as either a local or regional base.”
Among other things, Hong Kong was unique in its access to mainland China, its regulatory framework and access to capital, he explained.
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Davidson did not reveal whom among Hong Kong or Chinese officials had been invited, but said the guests would include Hongkongers, Britons and members of non-governmental organisations.
On May 8, consular staff will go out to support local organisations promoting themes of youth, community, diversity and sustainability, causes the monarch hopes to promote during his reign.
Hongkongers’ interest in the British monarchy was on display last year, when long queues formed outside the consulate in Admiralty to pay tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth, who died in September.
Davidson said the queen had been closely associated with the city during the colonial era and her death evoked a response among locals.
“I don’t know whether it is right to talk about what Hongkongers think of the monarchy now because actually, it is not their monarchy,” he said. “Much more to talk about what they think of Xi Jinping, the president of China.”
