By Tom Kenny
Veteran China scholar Professor Kerry Brown chronicles the often tumultuous relationship between Britain and China over four centuries, from the early days of the East India Company to contemporary geo-political tensions in the South China Sea. Western narratives—often shaped by imperial nostalgia and economic insecurity— often struggle to reconcile with the reality of China’s ascent. Yet there is no wishful thinking in Brown’s lucid exposition: a seasoned China scholar, he traces how Britain’s engagement with China veers between opportunism and antagonism, mirroring broader Western anxieties about a world no longer centered on the old colonial powers. “The Great Reversal” offers revealing perspectives on the shifting dynamics of power, culture and economics.
While Brown may be a distinguished academic at King’s College, London, his book is a page-turner: its 327 pages rattle along, with much picaresque detail to savour alongside nuanced historical analysis, not least when he describes the arduous nature of the first British emissaries passage to China, and the mutual bafflement with which they and the Chinese encountered one another. It seems there has always been awkwardness – to say the very least – between Britain and China.
Brown begins by delving into initial encounters between Britain and China during the 17th century. These early interactions were characterized by curiosity and a desire for trade, although more so on the part of the British than the Chinese. As Britain’s imperial ambitions grew, so did her efforts to dominate China’s economy and politics, culminating in the Opium Wars of the mid-19th century and followed by China’s “century of humiliation.” Brown’s narrative captures the enduring impact of these events on China’s national psyche and subsequent drive to reclaim her sovereignty and dignity.
The 20th century saw a transformation in Sino-British relations. The decline of the British Empire juxtaposed with China’s resurgence set the stage for a “great reversal” in power dynamics. Brown highlights pivotal moments, such as the handover of Hong Kong in 1997, which represented not merely a territorial transfer but a broader shift in influence and authority. This period also saw China opening up to global markets, with Britain eager to capitalize on new economic opportunities, leading to a complex interplay of cooperation and competition.
In the contemporary context, Brown addresses the key challenges that characterise UK-China relations. The economic interdependence between the UK and China is fractious: while China remains a significant trading partner, concerns over cybersecurity (Tik Tok, Huawei), intellectual property rights, and fair trade practices have prompted calls for a reassessment of this economic engagement. The UK’s decision to phase out Huawei technology from its 5G network by 2027 exemplifies the cautious approach adopted in response to security concerns, reflecting a broader trend among Western nations to scrutinize Chinese investments and technological partnerships. Moreover there are concerns about possible human rights abuses in Tibet and Hong Kong.
Even more alarmingly, geopolitical tensions around Taiwan and the South China Sea have strained Sino-British relations. The UK’s involvement in “freedom of navigation” operations – alongside the United States and France – purports to underscore her commitment to upholding international law, assert the principle of free passage and counter China’s expansive territorial claims. However these operations are perceived by China as provocative, which further complicates diplomatic engagement.
Brown stops short of questioning the legitimacy of the UK’s involvement in these territorial disputes thousands of miles away from its own shores. Arguably, the UK’s naval presence in East Asia serves no meaningful security purpose for UK citizens; rather, it is an extension of a dying imperialist logic that seeks to prop up Western dominance over global trade routes. Western government and legacy media’s framing of China as an aggressor, particularly in Taiwan, fails to acknowledge that Beijing’s territorial claims are founded in historical grievances against colonial-era territorial divisions. While China’s policies in these regions are certainly open to critique, Western intervention—especially from a declining power like Britain—only exacerbates tensions and serves the interests of arms manufacturers and military elites rather than ordinary people.
One of Brown’s key arguments is that Britain’s China policy is fundamentally reactive and shaped by a nostalgic misunderstanding of its own place in the world. He critiques the way British elites frame China’s rise as a destabilizing anomaly rather than the natural consequence of a world in transition. This myopia, he suggests, has led to a dangerously inconsistent foreign policy—fluctuating between aggressive posturing and hesitant accommodation.
While Brown correctly identifies Britain’s delusions of grandeur as a major obstacle to a rational China policy, his critique is largely descriptive. A left internationalist reading demands a sharper interrogation of Britain’s role in global capitalism, particularly the way in which its ruling class clings to a US-led imperial order that serves financial elites while devastating working-class livelihoods. The hostility towards China in British political discourse is not merely a failure of perception; it is an ideological necessity for an establishment that must manufacture external threats to justify neoliberal stagnation.
Unfortunately Brown’s analysis—while sharp in dissecting the contradictions of Western policy—ultimately remains tethered to a centrist liberal framework that fails to fully grasp the radical implications of China’s rise for the global working class. While he acknowledges the deep structural flaws in British policy towards China, Brown stops short of questioning the capitalist imperatives that drive both Western hostility and China’s own complex, state-capitalist development model. The book offers a sober and highly engaging account of how Britain lost its ability to engage China pragmatically, but it lacks a deeper critique of the political economy underpinning this shifting balance of power.
Brown presents China’s economic rise in pragmatic terms, emphasizing its sheer scale and effectiveness in lifting hundreds of millions out of poverty. However, he largely avoids a deeper critique of the contradictions within China’s state-capitalist model—contradictions that are increasingly relevant for global left movements. While China’s economic policies have undeniably challenged Western hegemony, they have done so within a framework that still privileges capital accumulation, market competition, and authoritarian state control.
For left internationalists, this presents a dilemma. On one hand, China’s challenge to Western imperialism is welcome, as it disrupts a global order long dominated by the US and its allies. On the other, China’s development model—while state-directed—does not represent a socialist alternative in the Marxist sense. Its policies, from Belt and Road investments to domestic labor crackdowns, often replicate capitalist exploitation in new forms. Brown hints at these contradictions but does not explore their implications for a truly internationalist movement that seeks to build solidarity across borders.
“The Great Reversal” prompts us to reflect critically on the enduring consequences of historic imperialistic endeavours, to question the moral and ethical implications of Britain’s historical actions in China, and to consider how these past injustices resonate in present-day policies. We are challenged to envision a future where international relations are grounded in mutual respect, equity, and a genuine commitment to multilateralism. Brown’s insightful analysis encourages a reimagining of international relations, advocating for a departure from hegemonic practices towards a more just and cooperative global order. For policymakers, scholars, and engaged citizens, this book offers a valuable framework to understand and navigate the complexities of contemporary geopolitics, emphasizing the importance of learning from history to inform a more equitable future.
“The Great Reversal: Britain, China and the 400-Year Contest for Power” by Kerry Brown, Yale University Press, 2024
Thomas Kenny is a member of Liberation
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