British foreign secretary expected to visit Beijing, Shanghai

LONDON — British Foreign Secretary David Lammy is expected to visit Beijing and Shanghai, the highest-level trip to China since the Labour government came to power.

Analysts say they will be watching the trip for signs of a possible reset in U.K.-China relations, which have been fraught in recent years. 

Reuters reported last week that Lammy is expected to meet with Chinese officials in Beijing and representatives of British companies in Shanghai. According to sources familiar with the matter, the trip will last two days.

The U.K. Foreign and Commonwealth Office spokesperson told VOA that the secretary’s travel plans have not been publicly announced.

At the same time, sources told Sky News that U.K. Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves is considering a visit to China to resume an economic and financial dialogue that was interrupted in 2019.

During this year’s parliamentary election campaign, the Labour Party promised to conduct a comprehensive audit of U.K.-China relations to develop a “long-term strategic approach” to the relationship.

In August, during a phone call with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that despite the differences, there was a need to have frank exchanges while promoting closer economic ties and global cooperation.

Over the past decade, ties between the U.K. and China have been on a roller coaster. In 2015, then-Prime Minister David Cameron declared a “golden age” in U.K.-China relations. However, by 2020, Boris Johnson’s government was clashing with Beijing over issues such as the Hong Kong National Security Law and the coronavirus pandemic as well as the exclusion of Huawei from Britain’s 5G network construction.

James Jennion, an associate fellow of the British Foreign Policy Group and co-founder of the Labour Campaign for Human Rights, told VOA that he thinks the visit will focus mainly on cooperative aspects of the relationship.

“It’s been made clear this visit is intended as a ‘reset’ of our relations with Beijing, so trade and investment will be front and center,” Jennion said.

He also said cooperation cannot come at the cost of U.K. values and human rights responsibilities.

“Human rights issues, if discussed, will likely cover ‘third-party’ issues like the Middle East and Ukraine, where possible joint solutions will be discussed. Given the nature and purpose of the trip,” he added. 

“I would be very surprised if controversial [to China] issues like Hong Kong, Xinjiang, and Taiwan are mentioned, as these have been the major friction points in previous years.” 

Observers say the business community generally wants to improve economic and trade relations with China, especially in the post-Brexit era, and note that Britain needs to open new markets. Human rights groups, however, have called for the U.K. not to compromise on human rights and national security.

Megan Khoo, a policy adviser for Hong Kong Watch, a human rights NGO based in London, told VOA the group “hopes that the Foreign Secretary uses his bilateral meetings to draw attention to the declining human rights situation in Hong Kong. This is especially important following the passage of the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance and the recent sentencing of two former Stand News editors under colonial-era sedition laws.”

Khoo said Lammy should make it clear that Britain remains committed to the observance of human rights in Hong Kong, given its historical commitments to the city.

“The Foreign Secretary should also signal that the U.K. takes seriously its duty to protect the more than 150,000 Hong Kongers who are now living in the U.K. and wish to remain free from political repression,” she said.

Luke De Pulford, executive director for the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, said Beijing will test Lammy’s resolve. 

“Let’s see if he measures up and sticks with his clear commitments he made to persecuted Uyghurs while in opposition,” De Pulford said, adding that he is not encouraged by the early signs.

“Lammy has an opportunity to show strength in defense of U.K. values, which are core to the national interest,” he said.

China’s recent military exercises around Taiwan could also be a topic of discussion. As an ally of the U.S., the U.K. has been concerned about the security situation in the Indo-Pacific region.

Adrianna Zhang contributed to this report.
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