British Foreign Secretary David Lammy is heading to China for a two-day visit starting 10/18/2024 This marks his first trip to the country since taking office aiming to reset UK-China ties and pursue pragmatic engagement despite various concerns
Relations between Britain and China have cooled in recent years due to:
- Spying and cyberespionage claims
- Beijings actions in Hong Kong
- Chinas support for Russia in the Ukraine conflict
Lammy is expected to visit Beijing and Shanghai during his trip UK officials said on 10/17/2024. Prime Minister Keir Starmers spokesperson‚ Dave Pares‚ stated that Britain wants to engage China but will challenge Beijing on issues such as the imprisonment of Jimmy Lai the Hong Kong activist and publisher
Pares emphasized that securing Lais release is a priority for Britains government Lai‚ 76 has been in custody since about four years ago and holds British citizenship. His legal team has been urging British authorities to do more to help him
We are calling on the Hong Kong authorities to end their politically motivated prosecution and immediately release Jimmy Lai
Pares mentioned that Lammy had previously raised Lais case during a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Laos a few months back and will continue to do so
The UK aims for pragmatic engagement with China‚ believing its in both the UKs and the worlds interest Starmer who led his Labour Party to a landslide election victory roughly three months ago hasnt made any major statements on managing UK-China relations
The last British foreign secretary to visit China was James Cleverly last year‚ who stressed the importance of maintaining regular dialogue despite differences
In recent months‚ British and American authorities accused hackers linked to the Chinese government of targeting officials journalists corporations pro-democracy activists and the UKs election watchdog. Additionally four men in Britain were charged with allegedly spying for China and assisting Hong Kong authorities in gathering intelligence in the UK
Chinas Foreign Ministry expressed readiness to work with Britain to boost cooperation and promote stable relations emphasizing the importance of both countries as permanent members of the UN Security Council and major global economies