Chinese state media appears to be particularly pleased by the appointment of David Cameron as foreign secretary.
The ex-PM was described by a Communist Party newspaper as a political figure who has “the potential to breathe new life into the China-UK relationship” in news that some may see as a bit of a red flag given his previous links to the country.
An opinion piece in the Global Times, an English-language Communist Party-run newspaper, said that he had a “unique understanding” of China that critics would use to attack him.
It said: “David Cameron’s appointment as Britain’s new foreign secretary has the potential to breathe new life into the China-UK relationship which has in recent years experienced some serious setbacks.
“As a former British prime minister whose administration focused positively on fostering closer and mutually beneficial ties with Beijing, he is well positioned to engage with a country he came to comprehend well during his time in Downing Street.”
Cameron is back in Downing Street just weeks after promoting a port city in Sri Lanka which is a major part of Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative.
He was enlisted to drum up foreign investment in a controversial Sri Lankan project being billed as a Chinese-funded rival to Singapore and Dubai.
Speaking on GB News, Iain Duncan Smith brought up Cameron’s controversial links to China, saying they represent a conflict of interest.
Watch the clip in full below:
