China predicts 'grim future' with economic crash for UK after Boris Johnson banned #Huawei

However, another reason, possibly the strongest motivation, was Johnson's disposition to not encourage the wrath of Donald Trump and possibly imperil future US-UK trade talks.

The US president has been pressurizing allies to enforce a complete ban on Huawei 5G infrastructure.

Deteriorating UK-China relations may also hit the British banking sector.

UK-based bank HSBC has fallen foul of Beijing's suspicion that it was involved in the arrest of Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou.

Beijing is poised to place HSBC on a list of unreliable entities, this would seriously detriment the company's ability to function as it makes most of its profits from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the Chinese mainland.

Referring to the case of HSBC, the Global Times, a state-run tabloid based in Beijing, said: "Not only is the British lender facing dim prospects in China, the UK seems to have been misjudging its economic ties with China, which will lead its economy to a grim future during the post-pandemic and post-Brexit era."

The political climate in the UK at present sees both major parties, Labour and Tory, having a bi-partisan approach that is wary of allowing Chinese investment and especially core infrastructure developments like Huawei's 5G proposals into the UK.

But some MPs still worry this could hinder the UK's competitiveness in a retracted, post-coronavirus, post-Brexit global market.

China exposed: How Beijing declassified death toll secrets amid Wuhan 'cover-up' claims

For instance, ex-Chancellor Philip Hammond has voiced his fears the UK should not jeopardise relations with China, a country that is expected to become the world's leading economy by the mid-2020s.

China is the largest trading partner with the UK in the whole of the Asia-Pacific region.

If the UK is unable to secure a favourable trade deal with the EU, then it leaves Britain in a position where they may need to concede to Chinese demands in order to protect resuscitate the economy and create what Mr Johnson has declared as "a Global Britain".

The UK needs Hong Kong open to trade as in 2019 it was the UK's second-largest market for goods in the Asia-Pacific region.

Tehran's war capability revealed amid tensions with West [ANALYSIS
US soldier risked 'cataclysmic outcome' with defection to USSR [COMMENT]
Turkey close to Russia's grasp amid Trump fury after Venezuela ruling [ANALYSIS]

Influential Conservatives, such as Ian Duncan Smith still maintain the UK is strong enough to decouple from China even with the constraints of Brexit and a post-pandemic world.

The government under Johnson has chosen to ally with the US against Huawei and also take a more pro-active approach in condemning China's human rights infringements, which could jeopardise UK exports to China in the post-Brexit era.

China perceives the vulnerable position the UK has inherited after setting forth on its independent journey out of the EU.

Beijing has set forth a stern warning to the UK in order to coerce the nation to back-track on the Huawei ban and ignore its principles to uphold democracy and rule of an independent judiciary in Hong Kong.

The Global Times stated: " The cruel reality for the British economy is that it may not be able to avoid a serious contraction.

"The pandemic could even hit the UK economy harder than the global financial crisis and the European debt crisis.

"Against the backdrop of the UK's weak recovery after the European debt crisis, as well as its long-term problems including low labour productivity growth, high public debt, and limited monetary policies, the recovery path for the UK will be particularly bumpy."