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China has repeatedly threatened to retaliate if the UK Government reversed its decision on Huawei, with relations already under strain after Boris Johnson offered citizenship to up to three million people from Hong Kong fleeing tough new security laws. The Chinese government has not hinted what measures are being considered, but ongoing diplomatic spats with British allies including the US, Australia and Canada reveal a wide-ranging playbook. A key factor is how quickly China might be willing to allow relations with the UK to deteriorate. In the US, Canada and Australia, political elements have been critical of China for several years, while the UK is only now starting to push back against China's ambitions, said Kitty Smyth, the founder of Jingpinou, a UK consultancy specialising in China. Therefore, China may be "more likely to want to build on those pockets of support, rather than erode all relationships with the UK entirely", she added. Still, some level of reprisal is likely to take place as Beijing's swagger has grown with its new "wolf warrior" style of diplomacy, taking a much harder line in defiance of what it views as the West trying to diminish its place on the world stage.
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