LONDON (Reuters) -Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi made his first official visit to Britain on Thursday for the first time in a decade where he held talks with the prime minister, foreign minister and national security adviser.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer told Wang he wanted “consistent and respectful” relations between their countries, when he dropped in on the planned meeting between Wang and his National Security Adviser Jonathan Powell, Starmer’s spokesman told reporters.
“He underlined his intention to build a consistent and respectful relationship between the UK and China … including deepening cooperation on trade, investment and other areas of mutual benefit,” the spokesman said.
“He reiterated that the UK will always engage frankly on areas where our views differ, as part of the stable and regular engagement this government is committed to maintaining with China.”
British foreign minister David Lammy said he discussed with Wang international security, the war in Ukraine and Middle East.
But Lammy said he would continue to challenge China on the imprisonment of pro-democracy Hong Kong tycoon Jimmy Lai, human rights and the sanctioning of British parliamentarians.
The Labour government, in power in Britain since July, has made improving ties with China one of its main foreign policy goals, after a period when relations plunged to their lowest level in decades under successive Conservative governments.
(Reporting by Muvija M; Writing by Catarina Demony; Editing by William James, Sarah Young and Sachin Ravikumar)
