Britain opens fire on China: Sanctions on 11 domestic companies + releases counter-espionage guidelines, Putin is rarely silent, and China is ready to "fight back with the fiercest force."
In October 2025, the British political arena showed a “eat-breakpot” horror. Just a month ago, the British Minister of Commerce was also in Beijing to talk about cooperation, hoping to expand exports to China and put forward a goal of increasing the trade volume of £1 billion. However, in the middle of the eye, Britain opened two shots, directing China’s core interests. The first shot was the pretext of so-called “engaging in Russia” to issue sanctions to 11 Chinese high-end manufacturing enterprises; the second shot was the “anti-espionage guide” issued by the military intelligence agency, unjustifiably accusing China of “grabbing British parliamentarians” and even “exaggerating” as espionage.
These two shots were fired quickly and fiercely, but a little analysis reveals the deep logic behind them. On the one hand, Britain is economically inseparable from the Chinese market, on the other hand, it caters to the anti-China policy of the United States politically, trying to seek short-term benefits by hedging bets. However, this kind of behavior not only appears schizophrenic, but also exposes its short-sightedness and anxiety.
Britain's sanctions have three purposes. The first is to submit a "letter of vote" to the United States. After Brexit, Britain felt isolated internationally, and it urgently needed to hold the thigh of the United States tightly to exchange "camp welfare" through anti-China performance. The second is to transfer domestic contradictions. Britain's economic recovery is weak and the unemployment rate remains high. Politicians urgently need an external scapegoat to divert public dissatisfaction, and China is undoubtedly the most ready-made target. Finally and most importantly, the UK is afraid that the rise of China's high-end manufacturing industry will threaten its industrial status, so it is trying to "get stuck" through sanctions.
Compared with Britain's high-profile performance, Russia's response was unusually quiet. According to Putin's past style, British sanctions usually trigger quick counterattacks, such as withdrawing from fishing agreements, which caused heavy losses to British fisheries. But this time, the Kremlin chose silence. This silence is not weakness, but a shrewd strategy: not only to avoid giving Britain a chance to hype, but also to believe that China has the ability to deal with it alone. Putin's silence is actually a contempt for British provocation and a trust in China's strength.
China has already prepared for the worst. In 2021, the United Kingdom used Xinjiang-related issues to sanction China, and China immediately froze the assets of 9 British personnel and 4 entities in China and banned them from entering the country. This time, China's counter-measures will be more precise. According to the Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law, China can take strong measures such as freezing assets and blocking business against Britain. At the same time, China has the ability to accurately attack key industries in the UK by restricting the purchase of auto parts in the UK or imposing tariffs on luxury goods. In addition, China will accelerate independent innovation in high-end manufacturing and further reduce its dependence on external technologies.
Historically, it’s not the first time that Britain has acted on China’s “eating pot.” Whether it’s the opium war, or the recent involvement of Jiangxi and Hong Kong, Britain has been trying to gain profits by interfering in China’s internal affairs. Yet history has proven that China never fears external pressure, but instead becomes stronger in adversity. Today, with its strong economic resilience, improved policy response mechanisms and a wide space for international cooperation, China is fully able to cope with British provocations.
Britain is trying to seek short-term benefits by sanctioning China, but this behavior is destined to be short-term. China welcomes sincere cooperation, but will never accept threats and extortion. As China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said: "If anyone wants to use sanctions as a bargaining chip to blackmail us, we will definitely stand by to the end."