China’s state-run media has commended a “pragmatic” Theresa May for resisting calls to publicly challenge Beijing over Hong Kong and human rights during her three-day visit.



In an editorial on Friday, the third and final day of May’s tour, the Global Times newspaper said the prime minister had wisely “sidestepped” such issues as she sought “pragmatic collaboration” between Britain and the world’s number two economy.

“Some western media outlets keep pestering May to criticise Beijing in an attempt to showcase that the UK has withstood pressure from China and the west has consolidated its commanding position over the country in politics,” the Communist party-run tabloid claimed in its English-language edition.

“Certain democracy activists in Hong Kong also intervened,” the nationalist newspaper added, pointing to an article in the Guardian on Wednesday in which Joshua Wong urged May to challenge Beijing’s “relentless crackdown” on the former British colony.



However, the Global Times congratulated May for turning a deaf ear to such calls, which it attributed to “radical public opinion”.

“May will definitely not make any comment contrary to the goals of her China trip … For the prime minister, the losses outweigh the gains if she appeases the British media at the cost of the visit’s friendly atmosphere.”

The Global Times’ Chinese-language edition agreed western media “mudslinging” was an exercise in futility. “Nothing can stop China-UK cooperation: noise and nagging will be carried away by the wind,” it said.

Quick guide Human rights concerns in China Show Hide Human rights activists and dissidents A severe crackdown on civil society and rights activists has unfolded since Xi Jinping took power in 2012. Feminists, moderate academics, religious leaders and human rights lawyers have all been targeted. Several attorneys detained in a 2015 "war on law" remain behind bars; others have made forced confessions or faced show trials. Some call it the worst crackdown since Tiananmen. Hong Kong Xi’s time in power has also seen increased repression in the former British colony, which should enjoy a high-degree of autonomy from Beijing. Members of the pro-democracy umbrella movement have been barred from political office or jailed for their struggle. Five booksellers who specialised in salacious tomes about China’s political elite were seized. Amnesty has described Hong Kong's human rights situation as the worst since handover in 1997. Internet controls and censorship China has the world’s largest number of internet users but also its most draconian and sophisticated censorship regime. Foreign websites such as Facebook, Google and Youtube are blocked by the notorious Great Firewall. Journalists face tight controls and intimidation. Internet controls look set to increase with a renewed crackdown on virtual private networks (VPNs) used to evade internet restrictions now underway. Xinjiang and Tibet Campaigners say Beijing has transformed the resource-rich region of Xinjiang into “the perfect police state” through a massive security offensive authorities say is needed to fight terrorism. Members of the Muslim Uighur minority have born the brunt. Tens of thousands have been confined in Mao-style “re-education” centres. Increasingly high-tech surveillance methods are used to monitor residents. Tibetans also face draconian restrictions on their lives, practices and beliefs. Foreign journalists are barred from visiting the region.

As she flew out to China on Tuesday, May pledged to raise Hong Kong and human rights with Chinese leaders. However, at a press conference with her host, Premier Li Keqiang, on Wednesday she mentioned neither. In fact Li made the only reference to human rights, which he said had been discussed as part of a wider conversation about topics including intellectual property rights and UK-China trade.

A spokeswoman for China’s foreign ministry, Hua Chunying, appeared to approve of May’s decision not to publicly raise the topics, telling reporters: “You must have felt the strong and positive willingness on the British side to enhance all-around cooperation with China.”



But Downing Street officials pushed back on the characterisation of May in the Global Times, saying the prime minister had raised human rights and her concerns about Hong Kong in meetings with President Xi and Premier Li.

A UK government official said May had brought up specific cases of concern in Hong Kong, but declined to go into details.

Cui Hongjian, the head of the European studies department at the China Institute of International Studies, said May was in an unenviable bind as she struggled to please both western public opinion and Beijing. “Actually, I feel sympathy for Theresa May.”



Additional reporting by Wang Xueying