China says UK has poisoned relations, some want new Cold War

China blamed the United Kingdom on Thursday for deteriorating ties after Prime Minister Boris Johnson slapped a 5G ban on Huawei, accusing London of poisoning the relationship by meddling in Hong Kong's affairs.

"These actions have seriously poisoned the atmosphere of China-UK relationship," China's ambassador to London Liu Xiaoming told reporters.

"Some British politicians cling to the Cold War mentality... They play up the so-called China threat, see China as a hostile state, threaten a complete decoupling from China and even clamour for a new Cold War against China," he said.