China and the US have had strained relations, most especially in recent years, and even more so regarding the situation with Taiwan, stoking fears of a possible world war. An expert has warned that the UK should also be concerned about the increasing tensions between China and the US.
Speaking with Express, Birmingham University senior lecturer on criminology and security studies, Dr. Lily Hamourtziadou, said that the UK should be concerned regarding the rising tensions between the US and China, particularly as both nations appear to find themselves on opposite ends when it comes to Taiwan. Dr. Hamourtziadou cited that this is because the UK is the biggest ally of the United States.
“Being the biggest US ally, the UK should be concerned about the increasing tensions between the two hegemonic powers, as China and the US could end up fighting, at the very least, the proxy wars we saw during the Cold War,” said the senior lecturer, who added that the UK must steer clear of getting involved in the conflict between China and the US.
“UK governments tend to get Britain involved in such wars, conflicts, and rivalries, but it would be a mistake to get involved in the current dispute,” said Dr. Hamourtziadou, noting that the UK might not succeed in winning against a superpower nation like China.
“While the shift in global hegemonic structures — a shift away from North America and western Europe and towards the emerging economies of Asia — is cause for concern and presents serious challenges for the West, the UK cannot afford to enter a war against such a powerful opponent,” Dr. Hamourtziadou continued.
China claims Taiwan as part of the mainland and has been engaging in a pressure campaign to get the island nation and its democratic government to submit to the mainland. The near-constant incursions of Chinese planes over Taiwanese airspace appear to be part of the efforts.
Tensions have further escalated along with fears of a possible world war with the reports that both China and Russia have deployed joint naval patrols into the Pacific for the first time. As China has often clashed with the US over Taiwan, Russia was angered by the possibility of Ukraine joining the NATO alliance, with Japan witnessing the recent moves by the two countries in the region.
The joint fleet was made up of destroyers, frigates, missile tracking ships, and a logistics vessel.