UK foreign minister James Cleverly on Wednesday sought to repair ties with China during the first high-level British government visit to Beijing for five years, emphasising the need for further dialogue even if it included areas of “disagreement”.
In a meeting with Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi, Cleverly said he had “always been able to speak frankly” with his counterpart but also pointed to “opportunities that could benefit the wider world if we can ensure that our bilateral relationship is positive”.
“As two countries that have a global outlook, that trade widely across the world, and whose future prosperity is dependent upon peace and dialogue, it is important for us to maintain these channels of communication,” he added.