Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi made his first official visit to Britain on Thursday for the first time in a decade, holding talks with the prime minister, foreign minister, and national security adviser. Prime Minister Keir Starmer expressed his desire for "consistent and respectful" relations between the two countries during the meeting with Wang and National Security Adviser Jonathan Powell. Starmer emphasized the importance of building a relationship centered on cooperation in trade, investment, and other mutually beneficial areas while being willing to address differences openly.
British Foreign Minister David Lammy discussed international security, the situation in Ukraine, and the Middle East with Wang. Despite the focus on strengthening ties, Lammy expressed intentions to address sensitive issues such as the imprisonment of pro-democracy figure Jimmy Lai in Hong Kong, human rights concerns, and the imposition of sanctions on British lawmakers.
The Labour government, in office since July, has prioritized improving relations with China as a key foreign policy objective following a period of strained ties during the previous Conservative administrations.