Foreign Secretary visits Beijing to further British interests

• Foreign Secretary James Cleverly is visiting Beijing tomorrow.
• He will look to further UK national interests including cyber, international security and human rights
• As well as cooperating to face global problems such as climate change.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly is travelling to Beijing to strengthen channels of communication to further and protect British interests as set out in his Mansion House speech.

In the speech in April, the Foreign Secretary set out the UK’s multifaceted approach to China across three pillars.   First, to protect national security whenever Beijing poses a threat to UK people or prosperity, second, to align cooperation with friends and allies in the Indo-Pacific and across the world to uphold international law, and third, to engage directly with China to promote stable relations.

Now, in the first visit of a UK Foreign Secretary for over five years, James Cleverly will hold bilateral meetings with China’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Director of the Office of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission Wang Yi, and Vice President Han Zheng.

Issues such as climate change cannot be tackled without China - as the world’s largest investor in sustainable energy and the largest emitter of carbon, the choices that China makes are critical to our collective ability to tackle this global problem.

The Foreign Secretary will say that China’s global significance comes with a responsibility on international security – helping to end Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, diffusing tensions in the South China Sea and ceasing malign activity in cyberspace.

During his visit, the Foreign Secretary will raise Beijing’s human rights obligations, including in relation to communities in Xinjiang and Tibet. He will also challenge China on the erosion of autonomy, rights and freedoms in Hong Kong under the Beijing-imposed National Security Law, as well as other UK interests including the sanctions placed on UK MPs.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said:

“It is important we manage our relationship with China across a range of issues.

“No significant global problem – from climate change to pandemic prevention, from economic instability to nuclear proliferation – can be solved without China.

“China’s size, history and global significance means they cannot be ignored, but that comes with a responsibility on the global stage. That responsibility means China fulfilling its international commitments and obligations”.

It is important to have discussions face to face and raise these issues directly with the centre of the Chinese system, making clear the UK’s position with the decision makers in Beijing. This approach is in line with that of international partners, such as the recent visits of Five Eyes and European partners.

The engagements come after a visit to the Philippines, where the Foreign Secretary held talks on a range of subjects including maritime security, climate and trade.

Notes to editors

The UK takes a multifaceted approach to China over three pillars, which are set out in the Integrated Review Refresh and in the Foreign Secretary’s Mansion House speech where he set out this position in detail:

• First, to protect national security whenever Beijing poses a threat to UK people or prosperity;
• The Foreign Secretary said in his speech:  “We do not expect our disagreements with China to be swiftly overcome, but we do expect China to observe the laws and obligations that it has freely accepted”.
• Second, to align cooperation with friends and allies in the Indo-Pacific and across the world to uphold international law;
• The Foreign Secretary said in his speech: “This government will advance British interests directly with China, alongside our allies, while steadfastly defending our national security and our values”.
• And third, to engage directly with China to promote stable relations.
• The Foreign Secretary said in his speech:  “We must face the inescapable reality that no significant global problem – from climate change to pandemic prevention, from economic instability to nuclear proliferation – can be solved without China. To give up on dialogue with China would be to give up on addressing humanity’s greatest problems.”

We have already taken robust action to protect UK interests and values, including creating new powers to block any Chinese investment that risks our national security, and the new powers in the National Security Act will help ensure that the UK remains the hardest operating environment for malign activity.