UK Foreign Affairs Committee terms China 'a risk to multilateralism'; lists steps to deter

Days after the G7 meeting in Cornwall, the UK Foreign Affairs Committee on Thursday, termed China as a threat to multilateralism due to its expansionist policies. In a 75-page report titles 'UK’s role in multilateral diplomacy', the committee lists China's aggressive diplomacy, attempts to seize control of strategically important organisations, economic leverage and states that 'there is a real risk that democratic states will lose multilateral organisations to authoritarian states' if not deterred. The report details China's antics at WHO, WTO, OHCHR and HRC terming that 'China is in a strong position to undermine the mandates of multilaterals'.

UK committee: 'China a threat to multilateralism'

In its report, the UK Foreign Affairs committee states, "We have seen attempts by countries such as China to seize control of strategically important organisations and fundamentally redefine the once universally agreed principles on which they are based. This allows multilateral organisations to be weaponised against the founding principles upon which they were built. If unchecked, this trend puts China in an increasingly strong position which it is likely to use to undermine the underlying principles and mandates of multilaterals".

The panel lists the Belt and Road initiative in which China has used economic leverage to achieve support in multilaterals, while condemning China's aggressive diplomacy calling it 'bullying' a WHO, OHCHR and HRC. This has helped China to set an agenda that helps like-minded states like Russia favour it, consolidating its supportive groups in such organisations. The UK panel also lists Global health as an area China’s sway is disproportionate to their funding and representation and urges UK to work with other nations to remove China’s classification as a developing country at the WTO.

G7 pledges to 'counter and compete' with China

At the G7 meeting, the top seven economic powers - US, UK, Germany, France, Italy, Canada and Japan vowed to “counter and compete” with China on the emerging challenges including threats to democracy and the global race of technology. The leaders agreed the need for a common agenda in addressing China, including elements where they would "stand up and counter and compete". While China reportedly reacted to the G7 meet by warning the leaders of some of the wealthiest nations that the days when a “small” group of countries decided the fate of the world were gone, India has joined hands with the G7 to counter China's Belt and Road Initiative with its own.