UK Officials Barred from Referring to China and Russia as 'Hostile States'

The UK Foreign Office has prohibited government officials from using the term "hostile state" due to concerns that it may "offend China." The expression should no longer be applied to Russia, North Korea, and Iran either. This information was reported by the British newspaper The Times, citing its sources.

"In effect, the use of this expression has been banned in government documents, and during internal communications between civil servants, ministers, and advisers via email and WhatsApp," the article states.

As emphasized by the newspaper, this move is part of efforts to improve diplomatic relations with China, while it also extends to other nations. Specifically, according to the newspaper's data, this measure suggests that the government will not refer to Russia, North Korea, and Iran as "hostile states" anymore.

Furthermore, the newspaper reports that officials have edited documents published under previous governments, replacing the term "hostile states" with "hostile actors" and changing "hostile state activities" to "state threats." According to the publication, this innovation has faced criticism from officials, with one describing it as an "extraordinary" measure that has caused confusion within the government.