UK’s Foreign Secretary considers visit to China

UK’s Foreign Secretary David Lammy is reportedly considering a visit to China as part of the Labour government's efforts to reassess the UK's relationship with Beijing.

This trip, if confirmed, would be only the second by a UK foreign secretary in the past six years, Caliber.Az reports citing the foreign media.

While no date for the visit has been set and plans are still in the early stages, discussions are ongoing, according to sources familiar with the matter. The Foreign Office has declined to comment on these internal deliberations.

Prior to becoming prime minister, Keir Starmer had promised to conduct an “audit” of UK-China relations as one of his initial actions in office. The Labour government faces the challenge of balancing Britain’s economic interests with its defense and security concerns, a dilemma that continues to shape its approach to China. The recent visit of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to Beijing highlighted both the potential benefits and risks of engaging with China.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni carefully avoided criticizing China's support for Russia's military actions and its dominance in key technology sectors during her recent visit to Beijing, focusing instead on calling for a rebalancing of trade relations between Italy and China.

If Foreign Secretary David Lammy proceeds with his planned visit, it will mark the first trip of a British foreign secretary to China since James Cleverly's visit nearly a year ago. Cleverly's trip aimed to reset relations after a period of strain, exacerbated by China's crackdown on democracy activists in Hong Kong and the UK's response, including visa offers for Hong Kong residents.

Recent tensions have intensified, with allegations of Chinese cyberattacks targeting UK armed forces personnel and other data breaches. The UK government has faced pressure from major banks like HSBC and Standard Chartered to moderate new national security rules that could limit business with China. The previous Tory administration attempted to implement these rules but failed to pass them before July's election.

In late July, Foreign Secretary David Lammy and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met during an ASEAN gathering in Laos. They committed to establishing enduring communication channels, with Lammy pressing Wang to ensure that Chinese firms were not supporting Russia’s war in Ukraine, according to the Foreign Office.

Recently, a strategic review led by former NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, appointed by Keir Starmer, labeled China as a “deadly threat” to the UK. However, shortly before taking office, incoming Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds advised against a "binary" approach to relations with Beijing.