In yesterday’s Times, Daniel Finklestein focuses on “slave labour, concentration camps, imprisonment, cultural genocide” in China – the same Finklestein who organised the mammoth Cameron visit to China in 2015 with 100+ businessmen to seek more trade + business with China.
Aside from the inconsistency of his position – yesterday a friend and today an enemy – Finklestein advocates UK sanctions on Chinese individuals and action to boycott Chinese goods which include “forced labour” in the goods that the UK buys.
Finklestein wants it both ways – more trade and more boycotts. Does he really think that promoting boycotts by UK consumers of Chinese goods will not bring, in retaliation, boycotts by Chinese consumers of UK goods? And who will come off worst?
It is crucial to Finkelstein’s case to report that the Chinese people are groaning under oppression + dictatorship, and want nothing more than freedom + UK human rights. Wrong. In 2019 140m Chinese tourists travelled abroad and all returned home. Not one reported asylum application anywhere in the world.
Next article will be on the Cultural Revolution.
