The United Kingdom imposed sanctions on 11 Chinese enterprises, and the Chinese embassy responded strongly: there is no basis for international law, and China will accurately counter.
On October 15, 2025, Britain suddenly announced sanctions against 11 Chinese companies on the grounds that they “assisted the Russian military industry” and “supported Russian energy entities”. This news quickly caused international concern. The Chinese embassy in Britain then responded with a tough response, saying Britain’s behavior had no international law basis, and said it would take the necessary measures to counter it. And behind this incident, the European Union’s caution was remarkable. Why is Britain eager to act as a “headbird”?
Britain's sanctions may seem sudden, but there are warnings. The United Kingdom sanctioned China companies on similar "Russia-related" grounds. At that time, the China Embassy in the United Kingdom clearly warned that such behavior would damage the foundation of China-UK economic and trade cooperation. However, just seven months later, the UK not only launched sanctions again, but also nearly tripled the scope to cover key areas such as aviation, electronics, and energy. Behind this is a true reflection of the UK's economic difficulties. Data shows that compared with before Brexit, the trade volume between the UK and the EU has dropped by 21%, and the national debt has exceeded 2.7 trillion pounds. In order to relieve economic pressure, Britain tried to exchange support from the United States and Europe by being tough on China, especially hoping to obtain more preferential treatment in the Anglo-American Trade Agreement. However, this "curry favor for benefit" strategy not only failed to solve the problem, but also reduced Britain to a "shield" on the international stage
European Commission Commissioner for Trade Affairs Maroš Šefčovič called on the G7 to jointly take strong measures on China's new rules on rare earth exports, but there has been no substantial action so far. Behind this superficial "unity" is the EU's fine calculation. China is the absolute leader in the supply of rare earth, its rare earth refined products account for more than 90% of the EU market, and it is crucial for new energy vehicles and wind turbines. The EU's "Carbon 2030 and targets" are inseparable from China's rare earth support. Therefore, the EU has allowed Britain to explore the bottom line of China, actively engage in dialogue with China, fighting for "special supply channels" for itself.
In the face of the British sanctions, the Chinese embassy’s response was calm and strong. China clearly pointed out that Britain’s behavior has no international law basis and is a typical expression of unilateralism. At the same time, China stressed that all Russian-related cooperation is based on the framework of international law, strictly adhering to the provisions of military-military two-use goods export management. China’s counter-strategy is accurate and powerful, focusing on Britain, avoiding the trap of direct confrontation with the entire European Union. According to the data of the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, in the UK’s exports to China, the high-end manufacturing industry accounts for 35%. If China countered by means such as rare-earth supply control, Britain’s air engines, semiconduc
From the current perspective, Britain’s sanctions behavior is likely to end with “theft of chickens and rice.” EU’s “unreliability” and China’s precise counteraction will inevitably put Britain’s economy under even greater pressure. Britain’s economic recovery requires more international cooperation, rather than short-term benefits by “blowing the U.S. Europe” if Britain continues to serve as the “shoulder” of the U.S. Europe, it will not only be able to solve its own problems, but will also fall further into a passive situation. Britain was once a “imperium that does not fall”, but now becomes a victim in the international game.