Souring UK-China relations mean my path to politics has been a lonely one

The community of Chinese immigrants in Britain used to take pride in members of the diaspora succeeding in British politics, but that is no longer the case
As Sino-British relations have worsened, more mainland migrants have started living in the UK according to China’s unspoken rules and dare not speak out

Yue Parkinson

Published: 7:30pm, 27 Dec 2023

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Participation in British politics is a major concern for the Chinese community. Until relations between Britain and China turned sour, the first generation of mainland immigrants took a keen interest in Chinese participation in UK elections as the newest immigrant group in the Chinese community. They regarded any success, whether in a regional or general election, as a source of pride.

I witnessed this at its height, when I reported on British Chinese participation in the 2015 and 2017 general elections for the BBC Chinese network. This was well received by the Chinese immigrant community.

It has been my dream to take part in elections, but I always believed I was not strong enough, thinking voters would discriminate against my looks and accent. This misunderstanding was shattered in March, when I was encouraged by the Chinese Liberal Democrats to join the party and quickly became a candidate in district council elections in May.

However, my entry into politics has not been welcomed by the mainland Chinese community. My path to politics has been a lonely one as the immigrant community from China has alienated me, rather than caring about me.

A good friend, whom I have known for more than a decade, told me that if we met, it would be best not to post photos of our meeting on social media because she has good relations with the Chinese government, and that it would be unwise for me to stand in the UK general election. I was surprised by her words as she, like me, has lived in the UK for 19 years. We didn’t end up meeting and have not been in touch since.

Why aren’t there more Chinese in British politics?

Since the deterioration of Sino-British relations accelerated in 2020, we first-generation immigrants from China have had to choose where we stand. We can be pro-China, silent or pro-British.

There are two main reasons for being pro-China. First, whether in school, society or the media, we have been enveloped in Chinese patriotism throughout our upbringing. Similar to religions that teach believers to give their hearts to God, Chinese patriotic teaching tells mainlanders to be loyal to the Chinese government.

Even if we emigrate to the UK, our loyalty to China should never change. Such an expression of allegiance would be collectively appreciated in the mainland Chinese community. Second, many mainland immigrants derive their economic resources from the Chinese market, including the friend I no longer see.

For the silent group, they understand the difference between democracy and dictatorship, but fear controls them. Are we British Chinese, or China Chinese with British passports?

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I was born in China but have a British passport, which means I am not allowed to hold a Chinese passport any more. However, I will be treated as a “Chinese citizen” if Beijing decides I am harmful to China’s national security because of my criticism of the country, which is a common fear for Chinese immigrants like me. Our family members in China might also be implicated, such as by losing their jobs or being interrogated by police.

Therefore, this group of mainlanders lives in the UK according to China’s unspoken rules. They dare not speak out to protect the safety of their Chinese family members.

I am in the pro-British minority. I consider myself British Chinese, not China Chinese as the pro-China people insist, and I have managed to escape the prison of fear by daring to uphold liberal values and criticise China.

Alan Mak, left, became the first ethnic Chinese elected as an MP in the British parliament’s 800-year history when he won the seat of Havant for the Conservatives in the 2015 election. Photo: SCMP

However, I have paid a high price. Not only did I have to give up visiting my mother in China in case I was arrested, my candidature received no help from the mainland Chinese community and I was lonely.

There is no obvious reason for immigrants to have stopped caring about or be afraid of mainlanders who stand for election. Perhaps they are just so used to the unspoken rules of interpreting national policies and drawing their own security red lines in mainland China.

Frustrated by the Liberal Democrats’ lack of strong economic policies, I recently switched to the Labour Party. I will continue to stand for election, and I will continue to be lonely.

Yue Parkinson is a freelance writer and bilingual author