“China has never been Britain’s enemy – & British people will suffer economically, culturally & educationally if politicians pretend that it is.”
Andrew Murray, Stop the War Coalition
The British part of the international No Cold War campaign will be launched this Wednesday (June 16.)
Discussing themes such as the role of Britain as a junior partner in the US’ continuing cold war against China, how this presents a threat to world peace, the dangerous rise of anti-Asian racism that has accompanied the cold war, and why the British government’s increasing belligerence towards China will cause economic harm, the event will hear from a range of speakers including musician and activist Lowkey, CND General Secretary Kate Hudson and writer Martin Jacques.
Speaking to Labour Outlook other speakers at the event explained why they were taking part, with Andrew Murray of the Stop the War Coalition saying, “China has never been Britain’s enemy, and British people will suffer economically, culturally and educationally if politicians pretend that it is.”
Vijay Prashad, Director of the Tricontinental Institute added, “In the midst of a pandemic, the only way forward is for the states of the world to collaborate with each other rather than to intensify competition. The conflict imposed on China is a distraction from the many compelling problems we face, at the heart of it all being the virus and the economic collapse that has come as a consequence. We need collaboration to deal with both.”
Anna Chen, writer, poet and broadcaster commented, “America could have worked together with China but instead throws huge resources at waging Opium Wars 2, dragging in many of the same perpetrators who gained from that 19th century imperialist atrocity,” adding that “Britain should not nail itself to the USS Titanic, capsizing our global lifeboat in a horrific war as a cynical diversion from Brexit chaos and catastrophic Covid mishandling.”
Fiona Edwards, of No Cold War explained that “Biden’s administration is continuing the US’s multi-faceted aggression against China which was inaugurated by the Trump administration,” adding that, “Britain has decided to join in with this new cold war in a move which is both extremely dangerous for the entire world and against the interests of the British people,” especially in that “it is both aggressive and a total waste of resources for Britain to send its largest ever warship to the South China Sea and to be increasing military spending by £24billion over the next four years.”
- The ‘No Cold War Britain’ campaign is holding its first event on Wednesday 16 June at 7pm. Register at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/no-cold-war-china-is-not-our-enemy-tickets-156522901211
- No Cold War’s founding statement has been signed by peace organisations, politicians, social movement leaders, intellectuals and journalists from across the world. The Stop the War Coalition and CND and amongst the signatories: https://www.nocoldwar.org/statement
