Jeremy Corbyn, chairman of Britain's Stop the War Coalition, has been elected leader of the country's Labour Party – a party which frequently formed U.K. governments and is the main opposition to the governing Conservatives. Corbyn opposed both the Iraq war and the U.S. military build-up against China – a recent article making clear his firm opposition to: "development of a U.S.-Asia pacific strategy to promote tensions with China." Therefore what does Corbyn's election to the leadership of a major European political party indicate, and what are its implications for China?

Corbyn's election can be understood in an international context. Mass political currents with a favorable attitude to China, and seeking close relations with it, have developed in Latin America for well over a decade. Presidents Lula and Rousseff in Brazil, Presidents Chavez and Maduro in Venezuela, President Correa in Ecuador and President Morales in Bolivia are among Latin American leaders who sought excellent relations with China. These leaders were on the left of the political spectrum, replacing earlier right wing figures who followed U.S. foreign policy on China. But the situation in the advanced economies of Europe and North America had been different.

In Europe and the U.S. it had often been among right leaning business circles that currents seeking calm relations with China were found. Right wing politicians engaged in "China bashing" but in office frequently developed good relations with China. Left wing political forces frequently took up fake "human rights" rhetoric of anti-China currents and had more conflictual relations with China.

The overall situation began to change with the direct and indirect consequences of the international financial crisis. As recently as early 2008 there were major currents in Europe adopting overtly hostile attitudes to China – French President Sarkozy for example threatened to boycott the Beijing Olympics Opening Ceremony and there was a similar all-party movement in Ireland. But due to China's success in withstanding the international financial crisis by the time President Hu Jintao visited France in November 2010, President Sarkozy went outside protocol to meet him personally at the airport, while during Xi Jinping's vice-presidential visit to Ireland in 2012 every major party spoke in favour of closer links with China.

Alongside the direct economic effect of the international financial crisis, rising chaos in the Middle East has reshaped European perceptions. U.S. military interventions in the Middle East created social dislocation, and while in words opposing "jihadism" U.S. military interventions to alter the internal situation in countries has in practice been easily the most effective force spreading "Islamic terrorism."

In Saddam Hussein's Iraq, prior to the U.S. invasion, Al Qaeda and similar forces were insignificant. Following the invasion, extremists of ISIL control large parts of the country. In Gaddafi's Libya Al Qaeda, ISIL and similar currents were similarly insignificant – following the U.S. led military campaign to overthrow Gaddafi, such forces now control most of the country. The same is occurring in Syria with the U.S.'s campaign against Assad's regime – ISIL and Al Qaeda linked forces now control large parts of Syria.

In Europe the extremely negative effects of such policies produced the rise of political currents simultaneously opposing war and austerity. This started with relatively small political parties, such as Germany's Die Linke or France's Front de Gauche, then became large political currents in small countries such as Greece's Syriza, and has now taken the leadership of a mass European party in a major country with Corbyn's victory.

In the U.S. parallel forms of opposition to pro-war and austerity policies have appeared with the challenge of Bernie Sanders to Hillary Clinton for the Democratic Party presidential nomination.

Intellectual currents with favourable attitudes to China have also emerged. U.S. economist Mark Weisbrot, a key link in the U.S. to Latin American leaders, who collaborated with famous U.S. film director Oliver Stone on the film "South of the Border," recently published a book "Failed" with a clearly positive assessment of China's economic development. Other books with foreign policy analyses sympathetic to China are appearing in Europe.

It is important not to exaggerate. Latin American currents with favourable opinions of China have become a mass force, frequently capable of forming governments. In Europe only the first such shifts are appearing.

But there is a difference to previous developments. Right wing forces were often willing to have friendly relations with China because of business interests, but typically followed U.S. foreign policy. Any shift of U.S. foreign policy to more confrontational relations with China, as advocated by U.S. neo-cons, can lead such forces to change their position. Left wing currents such as Corbyn in contrast strongly oppose any U.S. military build-up against China.

It is therefore important to note these new developments and seek cooperative relations with all forces, right and left, favouring peace and an objective attitude to China.

The writer is a columnist with China.org.cn. For more information please visit:http://www.china.org.cn/opinion/johnross.htm

Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)