Two ways the coronavirus crisis will change Britain’s relationship with China

Coronavirus, and the response to it, is going to change a lot of things about UK politics. Perhaps, the biggest shift will come in this country’s attitude to China. I write in the magazine this week that the desire for supply chain security, and particularly for medical goods, will lead to a national policy aim of manufacturing more here.

In the same way that policy makers wanted to achieve ‘food security’ after World War Two, coronavirus will lead to a desire for ‘medical security’: that’ll mean the ability to produce medical equipment, vaccines and drugs here. When I asked one influential government figure what the most significant change brought about by this virus would be, I was told: ‘We’re going to be doing a lot less trade with China after this’.

China’s reaction to this crisis has underlined the kind of regime that it is.