24th June, 2016
Most of them noted that Britain’s vote to leave EU dealt the biggest blow to the European project of greater unity since World War Two, as global financial markets plunged as results of the Thursday’s referendum emerged.
A source at the French Presidency on Friday said that government would hold an emergency cabinet meeting at 1600 local time (1400 GMT) on Friday to discuss the impact of Britain’s referendum vote to leave the EU.
Also the former British Prime Minister Tony Blair in his reaction to the referendun said there would be an increased pressure for a second Scottish referendum on independence.
Also reacting, Jens Stoltenberg, NATO Secretary-General, said that Britain’s place in the U.S.-led alliance would remain unchanged in spite of Britons decision to leave the EU.
“I know that the United Kingdom’s position in NATO will remain unchanged.
“The UK will remain a strong and committed NATO Ally, and will continue to play its leading role in our alliance,’’ he said.
Stoltenberg emphasised that NATO is deepening its ties with the EU and had urged Britain to stay in the bloc.
He said the alliance would continue to seek closer cooperation with the Union.
Meanwhile, the Chinese government on Friday called on Britain and the EU to reach agreement as soon as possible after Britain voted to leave the bloc.
Hua Chunying, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman, said in Beijing that China respected the choice of the British and stressed that government is still keen to promote its relations with London.
“We hope Britain and the EU can reach a negotiated agreement at an early date.
“A prosperous and stable Europe is in all sides’ interests,” she said.
Prior to the referendum, China had not directly stated its opinion, viewing the vote as an internal matter and saying only that it wanted to see a strong and stable Europe.
Hua stressed that there would be a great impact from Britain choosing to leave the EU.
“The impact will be on all levels, not only on relations between China and Britain.
“As to what kind of impact there will be, I believe all sides will calmly and conscientiously assess this,” she said.
Hua said China supports the European integration process and would like to see Europe playing a proactive role in international affairs.
“We have full confidence in the outlook for the development of China-EU ties.
“We are willing to work hard with Britain to continue to properly maintain and develop Sino-British ties,” she said.
Diplomatic sources, however, said that the support was coded for the now.
They are of the opinion that the defeated “remain” camp, as the bloc, currently China’s largest trading partner, would lose around a sixth of its economic output.
They recalled that China and Britain have a history of disputes over human rights and the future of the former British colony of Hong Kong.
They said in the area of export-reliant, China values Britain as a strong advocate for free trade within the EU and the bloc as an important counterweight to the United States.
Experts say relations between Britain and China have been warming over the past few years and economic links have multiplied in tandem in what both countries refer to as a “golden age” in ties.
In another development, Donald Trump, U.S. Republican Presidential Candidate Donald Trump, said Britons “took back control of their country” by voting to leave the EU.
He said on Friday in Turnberry (Scotland) where he went to reopen a golf resort that, “They took back control of their country. It’s a great thing.
“People are angry, all over the world, they’re angry, they’re angry over borders, they’re angry over people coming into the country and taking over. Nobody even knows who they are. They’re angry about many, many things,’’ he said.
Trump said this would not be the last of the referendums as many other places would still have theirs.
He said before the vote “I said I will be inclined to leave the EU.
“I said this was going to happen and I think that it’s a great thing,’’ he said.
Trump has exchanged insults with British Prime Minister David Cameron, who supported staying in the EU and said after the vote he would resign by October.
Cameron had called the wealthy New York businessman’s anti-immigrant policy ideas divisive and wrong.
Months ago more than half a million Britons signed a petition to bar Trump from entering Britain, where he has several business interests, in response to his call to temporarily ban Muslims from entering the U.S.
British lawmakers decided against a ban as a violation of free speech.