London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Sep 04, 2025

Mike Bloomberg apologises to guests after Boris Johnson criticises China in speech

Mike Bloomberg apologises to guests after Boris Johnson criticises China in speech

The former Prime Minister is said to have been critical of China during a speech to guests at the five-star Fullerton Bay hotel in Singapore
Billionaire financier Mike Bloomberg was forced to apologise to hundreds of guests at a business event in Singapore after Boris Johnson made a speech criticising China, reports have said.

The former Prime Minister spoke at the Bloomberg New Economy Form in Singapore on Tuesday where he described China as “a coercive autocracy” during an after-dinner speech to approximately 500 Asian businesspeople, investors and diplomats.

Mr Bloomberg, the former mayor of New York and friend of Mr Johnson, acknowledged that some attendees may have been “insulted or offended” by the remarks during a session on Wednesday.

According to The Guardian, the businessman later clarified that Mr Johnson’s comments were “his thoughts and his thoughts alone”.

“Some may have been insulted or offended last night by parts of the speaker’s remarks referencing certain countries and their duly elected leaders.

“Those were his thoughts and his thoughts alone, not cleared in advance by anyone nor shared with me personally,” Mr Bloomberg said.

“To those of you who were upset and concerned by what the speaker said, you have my apologies.

“And if you weren’t upset, perhaps you’ve enjoyed Boris Johnson - he is who he is. He’s very controversial but also very entertaining. He was trying to be amusing rather than informative and serious and I think we need to give him a little bit of credit for that.”

Mr Johnson is also said to have told guests that he was taking a “temporary hiatus” from frontline politics, fuelling speculation that he plans to make a comeback in future.

One guest at the dinner said: "Boris was pretty belligerent in his criticism of a bunch of foreign governments, especially China and Russia, which he described as coercive autocracies."

Another attendee said: "Boris was very, very critical. The speech was pretty shocking. People felt uncomfortable. He used very undiplomatic language about China at a conference in Asia. A former Foreign Secretary and Prime Minister should have known better."

A spokesperson for Mr Johnson said: “The Prime Minister is robust in his criticism of authoritarianism and autocracy – including in Russia and China – and will continue to be so. He will continue to make the case for freedom and democracy on the world stage.”
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Putin Celebrates ‘Unprecedentedly High’ Ties with China as Gazprom Seals Power of Siberia-2 Deal
China Unveils New Weapons in Grand Military Parade as Xi Hosts Putin and Kim
Queen Camilla’s Teenage Courage: Fended Off Attempted Assault on London Train, New Biography Reveals
Scottish Brothers Set Record in Historic Pacific Row
Rapper Cardi B Cleared of Liability in Los Angeles Civil Assault Trial
Google Avoids Break-Up in U.S. Antitrust Case as Stocks Rise
Couple celebrates 80th wedding anniversary at assisted living facility in Lancaster
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
The White House on LinkedIn Has Changed Their Profile Picture to Donald Trump
"Insulted the Prophet Muhammad": Woman Burned Alive by Angry Mob in Niger State, Nigeria
Trump Responds to Death Rumors – Announces 'Missile City'
Court of Appeal Allows Asylum Seekers to Remain at Essex Hotel Amid Local Tax Boycott Threats
Germany in Turmoil: Ukrainian Teenage Girl Pushed to Death by Illegal Iraqi Migrant
United Krack down on human rights: Graham Linehan Arrested at Heathrow Over Three X Posts, Hospitalised, Released on Bail with Posting Ban
Asian and Middle Eastern Investors Avoid US Markets
Ray Dalio Warns of US Shift to Autocracy
Eurozone Inflation Rises to 2.1% in August
Russia and China Sign New Gas Pipeline Deal
China's Robotics Industry Fuels Export Surge
Suntory Chairman Resigns After Police Probe
Gold Price Hits New All-Time Record
Von der Leyen's Plane Hit by Suspected Russian GPS Interference in an Incident Believed to Be Caused by Russia or by Pro-Peace or by Anti-Corruption European Activists
UK Fintechs Explore Buying US Banks
Greece Suspends 5% of Schools as Birth Rate Drops
Apollo to Launch $5 Billion Sports Investment Vehicle
Bolsonaro Trial Nears Close Amid US-Brazil Tension
European Banks Push for Lower Cross-Border Barriers
Poland's Offshore Wind Sector Attracts Investors
Nvidia Reveals: Two Mystery Customers Account for About 40% of Revenue
Woody Allen: "I Would Be Happy to Direct Trump Again in a Film"
Pickles are the latest craze among Generation Z in the United States.
Deadline Day Delivers Record £125m Isak Move and Donnarumma to City
Nestlé Removes CEO Laurent Freixe Following Undisclosed Relationship with Subordinate
Giuliani Seriously Injured in Accident – Trump to Award Him the Presidential Medal of Freedom
EU is getting aggressive: Four AfD Candidates Die Unexpectedly Ahead of North Rhine-Westphalia Local Elections
Lula and Putin Hold Strategic BRICS Discussions Ahead of Trump–Putin Summit
WhatsApp is rolling out a feature that looks a lot like Telegram.
Investigations Reveal Rise in ‘Sex-for-Rent’ Listings Across Canada Exploiting Vulnerable Tenants
Chinese and Indian Leaders Pursue Amity Amid Global Shifts
European Union Plans for Ukraine Deployment
ECB Warns Against Inflation Complacency
Concerns Over North Cyprus Casino Development
Shipping Companies Look Beyond Chinese Finance
Rural Exodus Fueling European Wildfires
China Hosts Major Security Meeting
Chinese Police Successfully Recover Family's Savings from Livestream Purchases
Germany Marks a Decade Since Migrant Wave with Divisions, Success Stories, and Political Shifts
Liverpool Defeat Arsenal 1–0 with Szoboszlai Free-Kick to Stay Top of Premier League
Prince Harry and King Charles to Meet in First Reunion After 20 Months
Chinese Stock Market Rally Fueled by Domestic Investors
×