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UK international secretary David Lammy is about to lift Beijing’s assist for Russia in Ukraine, considerations over human rights and Hong Kong when he meets his Chinese language counterpart Wang Yi on Friday.
In his first journey to China since taking workplace, and solely the second by a British international secretary to the Chinese language mainland previously six years, Lammy will deal with areas of disagreement between the UK and Beijing, in addition to co-operation, based on individuals aware of his plans.
His go to is the newest transfer within the Labour authorities’s plan to step up engagement with China and Lammy is claimed to view it as the beginning of a extra constant dialogue and common interplay between the 2 international locations.
Britain views the worldwide inexperienced transition, well being, financial development and commerce as key areas of mutual co-operation. China, together with Hong Kong, is the UK’s fourth largest buying and selling associate.
The 2 international locations are additionally among the many 5 everlasting members of the UN’s safety council — though they typically come down on reverse sides of worldwide debates.
The Labour administration has given early indications that it’ll pursue a much less hardline technique on China than earlier Tory governments, which confronted extreme strain from hawkish backbenchers to take a troublesome method.
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer first spoke with Chinese language President Xi Jinping in August and chancellor Rachel Reeves had a telephone name with China’s vice-premier He Lifeng final month. She is anticipated to journey to China within the new yr.
Lammy first spoke with Wang on the Affiliation of Southeast Asian Nations international ministers assembly in Laos in July.
Throughout his two-day journey Lammy will journey on Friday to Beijing, then on Saturday go to Shanghai, the place he’ll meet UK companies in addition to authorities representatives.
Nonetheless, whereas the UK is aiming to bolster engagement with China, Starmer has additionally sought to reassure MPs that he won’t swerve tough matters with Beijing.
He confirmed at Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday that Lammy would immediately ask the Chinese language authorities to raise the sanctions it has imposed on British parliamentarians.
The Labour peer Baroness Helena Kennedy and Conservative MPs Sir Iain Duncan Smith and Tom Tugendhat are amongst those that have been personally blacklisted by Beijing after criticising the Chinese language authorities.
Placed on the spot by his Tory predecessor Rishi Sunak on the federal government’s China coverage at PMQs, Starmer criticised Beijing’s latest navy exercise within the strait of Taiwan as “not conducive to peace and stability”.
Starmer has set out a “three c’s” coverage on China: to co-operate on problems with mutual curiosity; compete the place pursuits diverge; and problem the place wanted, together with on nationwide safety and human rights.
The International, Commonwealth and Growth Workplace has additionally launched the audit of UK-China relations that Labour promised in its manifesto, based on individuals aware of the matter.
The overview, into which the Treasury, enterprise division, power division and Cupboard Workplace are more likely to feed, is anticipated to report in early 2025.
The Guardian reported this month that the International Workplace had requested the all-party parliamentary group on Taiwan to delay a possible go to by a former Taiwanese president to the British parliament to keep away from angering China forward of Lammy’s go to.
Downing Avenue insisted this week that it was as much as the APPG to preside over the invitation of visitors to attend the UK parliament.
