China-UK ties: Cleverly’s visit to Beijing boosts ‘sound and stable’ relations, vice-president Han Zheng says

China-Britain relations could be further promoted based on pragmatic cooperation and mutual respect, Chinese vice-president Han Zheng told visiting British foreign secretary James Cleverly.

“Your visit to China this time will further promote the sound and stable development of bilateral relations between China and the UK,” Han said during talks with Cleverly on Wednesday.

“The economic and trade relations featuring mutual respect and pragmatic cooperation between us will certainly see new progress.”

British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, left, and Chinese Vice-President Han Zheng meet in Beijing on Wednesday. Photo: AP Photo

Cleverly said his visit was the first for a number of years after face-to-face diplomacy was disrupted because of the Covid-19 pandemic. He urged more regular in-person meetings for both countries to “avoid misunderstanding”.

“As we discussed, it is important that countries like ours need to speak face to face on regular occasions to enhance understanding, to avoid misunderstanding and to address the challenges and differences of opinion that all countries have on bilateral relations, but also to take advantage of our shared endeavours to address the issues that affect our world, and our respective peoples,” he said.

Top diplomat Cleverly is the first senior UK official to visit China in five years, after then foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt travelled to Beijing in 2018.

Bilateral relations have since taken a nosedive over issues such as Beijing’s human rights record and Taiwan, and growing tensions between China and the Group of 7 advanced economies to which Britain belongs.

Cleverly’s trip to Beijing also came as the UK Parliament referred to Taiwan as a country for the first time in a House of Commons’ foreign affairs committee report on Wednesday while it pressed Britain to be tougher on Beijing and pursue closer relations with Taiwan.

In a review of its foreign and security policy released in March, the British government defined China as an “epoch-defining” challenge.

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However, while it voiced concern for the first time over Beijing’s approach to Taiwan, it did not brand it a strategic security threat – a description supported by more hawkish members of the ruling Conservative Party such as former prime minister Liz Truss.

Truss, also a former foreign secretary, went on a high-profile trip to Taiwan in May during which she vowed support for the island’s “freedom and democracy”. The visit was condemned by Beijing.

Before Cleverly embarked on his trip to China, Britain’s foreign ministry said the foreign secretary would look to cooperate with China in tackling global problems such as climate change while promoting British national interests and urging Beijing to fulfil its international commitments and obligations, including helping end Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, defuse tensions in the South China Sea and cease malign cyberspace activity.

The ministry said the aim of Cleverly’s trip was in line with the country’s plans to take a “multifaceted approach” towards China – by protecting national interests whenever Beijing posed a threat and working with allies to uphold international law, while also engaging directly with Beijing to stabilise relations.

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Cleverly’s trip to China comes amid wider debate across Europe about de-risking the relationship with China. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is said to be considering following the United States in limiting outbound investments to China.

China is among the UK’s top trading partners, with total volume crossing US$100 billion in 2022. Direct investment from Britain posted the second highest growth between January and July this year, only behind France, according to the Chinese commerce ministry.

More to follow …

South China Morning Post