FOREIGN Secretary Lord Cameron last night defended cosying up to China while PM.
He famously boasted of fostering a “golden era” of relations with the Beijing regime in 2015.
Tory MPs have since criticised the move following China’s increasingly brutal behaviour including the crackdown of Hong Kong and treatment of Uighar Muslims.
Lord Cameron told the BBC: “China has become much more aggressive, much more assertive, over the Uighurs, over Hong Kong, the ‘wolf warrior’ diplomacy.
“And so that’s why security and protection is such an important part of our policy.”
But he added that “engaging China” was important and stood by his embrace as PM.
He said: “When I became prime minister, the greatest need was for Britain to grow again, trade again, with exports to help our businesses around the world.
“I loaded up planes, I took them to India, I took them to China, I took them to Africa to get the economy moving again.”
Cameron returned to frontline politics last week as part of a cabinet reshuffle.
Speaking about his appointment, Mr Cameron said: “I know it’s not usual for a Prime Minister to come back in this way but I believe in public service.
“The Prime Minister asked me to do this job and it’s a time where we have some daunting challenges as a country, the conflict in the Middle East, the war in Ukraine.”
