Rethinking China's 'economic coercion': The case of the UK leaders' meeting with the Dalai Lama in 2012.

This article examines the 2012–2013 dispute between the United Kingdom and China following British Prime Minister David Cameron’s meeting with the Dalai Lama, focusing on the nature and impact of China’s retaliation. Contrary to claims that China imposed economic sanctions, the article finds that China responded primarily with diplomatic sanctions—such as freezing high-level visits and suspending institutional dialogues—while continuing to expand trade, investment, and financial cooperation with the UK. These diplomatic measures generated both political and economic pressures on the UK government, including fears of losing competitive economic opportunities to other European countries, which ultimately led to the UK’s concession on Tibet-related human rights issues. The study contributes to understanding China–UK relations by highlighting how diplomatic sanctions can indirectly produce economic coercion through apprehensions about future economic ties, and it offers insights relevant to debates on the UK’s China policy post-Brexit.