China in British Politics: Western Unexceptionalism in the Shadow of China's Rise

How is the rise of China affecting world politics? Among Western International Relations scholars, most studies of China's rise have focused on international-level implications-the balance of power between leading states, the future of regional and global orders, prospects for hegemonic war, and so forth-or the domestic politics of states along the periphery of the international system, especially in Central Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. In this article, I draw attention to the impact of China's rise on the domestic politics of developed countries. In particular, I offer a case study of British politics between 2010 and 2016-a period during which politicians from both of Britain's major political parties 'weaponized' China, so making it a significant feature of the domestic political topography. The overarching point is that momentous geopolitical shifts such as the rise of China are capable of reorienting domestic politics in developed (Western) countries just as much as they are in developing (non-Western) countries.