{"id":14792,"date":"2024-10-22T06:30:00","date_gmt":"2024-10-22T06:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/focus.cbbc.org\/?p=14792"},"modified":"2024-10-21T20:12:07","modified_gmt":"2024-10-21T20:12:07","slug":"foreign-secretary-david-lammy-visits-china-and-meets-with-cbbc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/focus.cbbc.org\/foreign-secretary-david-lammy-visits-china-and-meets-with-cbbc\/","title":{"rendered":"Foreign Secretary David Lammy visits China and meets with CBBC"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Rt Hon David Lammy MP recently spent two days in China, emphasising that the UK will take a consistent, strategic and pragmatic approach to its dealings with the country<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Prior to leaving for China on what is only the second such trip by a top UK minister in six years, Mr Lammy said that \u201cengagement with China is pragmatic and necessary to support UK and global interests…we must speak often and candidly across both areas of contention as well as areas for cooperation in the UK\u2019s national interest\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Mr Lammy\u2019s visit began with meetings with Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang (the most senior of China\u2019s vice premiers) and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing on Friday, 18 October. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In his meeting with Mr Lammy, the vice premier referred to the recent phone call between President Xi and Prime Minister Starmer, during which they reached an important consensus on strengthening cooperation and exchanges across various fields, providing clear direction for the development of bilateral relations. Mr Ding said: \u201cChina is willing to work with the UK, with a strategic and long-term perspective, to build a stable and mutually beneficial relationship. By upgrading practical cooperation across all sectors, both countries and their peoples will benefit, and greater momentum will be injected into global peace and prosperity.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In his meeting with Mr Lammy, Chinese Foreign Minister Mr Wang said that \u201cChina-Britain relations… now stand at a new starting point\u201d and stressed that competition among major powers should not be the backdrop of this era.<\/p>\n\n\n\n