Foreign Secretary has held bilateral meetings
with senior Chinese government figures during his visit to Beijing.
He met Chinese Vice President Han Zheng for the second time, and
Chinese Foreign Minister and Director of the Office of the
Central Foreign Affairs Commission, Wang Yi, for the third time.
The Foreign Secretary set out the UK’s approach to China, in line
with his Mansion House speech and the Integrated Review Refresh –
outlining the protect, align and engage pillars of the UK’s China
strategy.
The Foreign Secretary was clear about the UK’s position on
China’s malign cyber activity. In detailed discussions on Hong
Kong, he stressed the damage caused by the Beijing-imposed
National Security Law to rights and freedoms and consequently to
China’s international reputation and raised the case of Jimmy
Lai.
He also emphasised the importance to the international community
of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. And he called for
the immediate lifting of sanctions against Parliamentary
colleagues. The Foreign Secretary made clear the UK’s strength of
feeling about the mass incarceration of the Uyghur people in
Xinjiang.
The Foreign Secretary agreed with Vice President Han Zheng and
Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the importance of direct cooperation
between the UK and China on the biggest global challenges, such
as climate change.
He made clear the UK position on key geopolitical issues
including the conflict in Ukraine, the situation in North Korea
and nuclear non-proliferation.
They agreed on the potential of AI to unlock huge opportunities
but stressed the need for global coordination to mitigate risks
and put protections in place.
The Foreign Secretary stressed the need for open dialogue, as
well as the need for constructive engagement, when this is
consistent with UK interests.
