HSBC executive slams UK for siding with US on China

Sherard Cowper-Coles, group head of public affairs at HBSC Holdings Plc, at Foreign Direct Investment: Scaling New Heights event at Bloomberg LP's European headquarters in London, UK, on Thursday, July 6, 2023. The Gulf Cooperation Council region is rapidly emerging as a powerhouse for investment and economic growth, transforming the region into a magnet for international capital. Photographer: Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg

London: HSBC Holdings Plc’s head of public affairs criticised the US for strong-arming the UK into cutting back business dealings with China and accused the British government of being “weak” for going along with it.

Sherard Cowper-Coles told attendants at a closed-door event in London in June that the UK would often bow to the demands of Washington and shouldn’t blindly follow the US but look after its own interests, according to several people familiar with the matter, who asked not to be identified because the event was private.