Half of Britons say they are shunning Chinese products and two-thirds want the government to impose tariffs on imports from Asian superpower amid fury over coronavirus
- Research for MailOnline shows depth of concern about UK’s reliance on Beijing
- Seven in 10 would be willing to pay more to reduce reliance on Chinese products
- 49% said they were ‘always’ or ‘somewhat’ avoiding buying Chinese goods
- Here’s how to help people impacted by Covid-19
Half of Britons are shunning Chinese products and two-thirds would like the government to impose more tariffs on imports from the communist state, according to a poll.
Research for MailOnline shows the depth of concern about the UK’s reliance on Beijing amid a backlash over its handling of the coronavirus outbreak.
The Redfield & Wilton survey asked whether people had been avoiding buying products made in China since the pandemic emerged – with it first being reported in the city of Wuhan.
Some 16 per cent said they were ‘always’ shunning such goods, while another 33 per cent said they were ‘somewhat’ following the rule – although 51 per cent said they were not.
Seven in 10 agreed that they would be willing to pay more for products if it meant the UK was less reliant on China.
The findings come as the UK and China, led by Xi Jinping (above) continue to jostle over a wide-range of issues ranging from Beijing’s handling of the coronavirus outbreak and the treatment of citizens of Hong Kong, a former British territory.
The row includes whether tech giant Huawei, which is controlled by the Communist state, will be allowed to play a part in the UK’s new 5G data network.
Two thirds would support the government imposing extra tariffs on imports from the country if it would incentivise goods being made locally.
The findings come as the UK and China continue to jostle over a wide-range of issues ranging from Beijing’s handling of the coronavirus outbreak and the treatment of citizens of Hong Kong, a former British territory.
Boris Johnson has hit out at Beijing over a proposed national security law he says would undermine the the Sino-British Joint Declaration under which the port and financial centre returned to Chinese rule.
He used an article in the Times and Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post to say the measure would curtail Hong Kong’s freedoms and ‘dramatically erode its autonomy’.
And he restated the UK’s offer to allow almost three million of the region’s inhabitants the opportunity to come to Britain if Beijing imposed the national security law.
In response Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian accused the UK of a ‘Cold War mindset’ and ‘colonial mentality’ and claimed the Declaration was essentially null and void.
The row also includes whether tech giant Huawei, which is controlled by the Communist state, will be allowed to play a part in the UK’s new 5G data network.
British officials have discussed supplies of 5G networking equipment with companies in South Korea and Japan as part of a bid to develop alternatives.
UK and China continue to jostle over a wide-range of issues including the treatment of citizens of Hong Kong, a former British territory (pictured during protests last night)
A man holds a candle during a memorial vigil in Hong Kong last night to mark the 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre, despite a police ban
Japan’s NEC Corp and South Korea’s Samsung are part of a government plan announced last year to diversify Britain’s range of 5G suppliers.
Britain designated Huawei a ‘high-risk vendor’ in January, capping its 5G involvement at 35 per cent and excluding it from the data-heavy core of the network.
But Prime Minister Boris Johnson has come under renewed pressure from the United States and lawmakers in his own party, who say Huawei’s equipment could be used by Beijing for spying. Huawei has repeatedly denied the allegations.
Ties between the United Kingdom and China have also grown tense since Britain’s decision on Huawei over Beijing’s handling of the situation in Hong Kong and the COVID-19 pandemic.