British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has dipped into the past in reshuffling his cabinet. His office announced on Monday that he had appointed former Prime Minister David Cameron as foreign secretary.
Sunak had been under pressure to fire his home secretary, Suella Braverman, after she called pro-Palestinian protests "hate marches." He replaced her with his foreign secretary, James Cleverly, then replaced him with Cameron.
Cameron served as prime minister starting in 2010. In 2016, he called a referendum over the UK's place in the European Union and campaigned for it to stay. A majority of voters decided it should leave, and he stepped down.
Cameron said he is "delighted" to accept the new position. He said his country is facing "daunting challenges," including the war in Ukraine and the crisis in the Middle East. "It has rarely been more important for this country to stand by our allies, strengthen our partnerships and make sure our voice is heard," he wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
During his time as prime minister, Cameron hailed relations with China during what President Xi Jinping called a "golden era." They agreed in 2015 to a raft of business deals worth billions of dollars.
However, last year, Sunak said the idea that trade would lead to social reform was "naive," and declared the era "over." His spokesperson said Cameron's appointment would not change the government's approach to China.