Cameron's return rekindles memory of 'golden era' for ties

In a Cabinet reshuffle on Monday, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak appointed former prime minister David Cameron as the new foreign secretary in place of James Cleverly, who replaces Suella Braverman as the new home secretary after Braverman came under fire over immigration policies and criticism of police action at recent demonstrations.

The appointment breaks a more-than-50-year-old record with Alec Douglas-Home being the last former prime minister to have been appointed foreign secretary in 1970. Cameron will be appointed to the House of Lords, the upper chamber of Parliament, demonstrating Sunak's determination to bring him back to the Cabinet.

Cameron is popular with Conservative voters and his reentry could help reverse the Conservative Party's fortunes. Cameron's return also reduces the ranks of "Brexiteers" among core members of the Sunak Cabinet. Cameron will also find a companion in Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt, who supported the United Kingdom staying in the European Union.

Evidently, this is not good news for Brexit supporters in the party. In fact, after the announcement of Cameron's return, Conservative hard-liners were plotting to install Braverman as the next Conservative leader. Some Braverman supporters reportedly intend to write to the 1922 Committee to organize a vote of no confidence in Sunak.

Cameron's unexpected appointment as UK foreign secretary has also led to speculation whether it will lead to changes in the UK's foreign policy. In 2010, when Cameron first became UK prime minister, he stressed that the UK would be a "loyal and not blindly loyal ally" of the United States. As foreign secretary, he might nudge the UK's foreign policy to adopt a middle-line approach.

Cameron's position was also relatively pragmatic and friendly when it came to China. Sino-UK relations had entered a "golden era" when he was prime minister. Under his push, the UK applied to join the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank in 2015, becoming the first major Western country to join the financial institution. In the seven years since leaving politics, Cameron has worked on the Belt and Road project and visited China several times.

During a visit to China as foreign secretary in August, Cleverly said the UK would engage "robustly and constructively" with China, rather than isolate it in a "new Cold War". It is hoped that with Cameron, the momentum of constructive engagement between China and the UK can continue.