UK needs ‘more diplomacy’ with China but will always put security first – Lammy

The UK attack to China needs “more diplomacy, not less”, the Foreign Secretary has said connected his archetypal authoritative sojourn to the country.

David Lammy said the Government would bring “consistency” to relations with China, adding determination had not been “sufficient contact” betwixt London and Beijing nether his predecessors, peculiarly connected quality rights issues.

His comments travel meetings with Chinese lawman premier Ding Xuexiang and overseas curate Wang Yi, during which they discussed areas of co-operation, the UK’s concerns astir the attraction of Uighurs successful Xinjiang, the detention of British nationalist Jimmy Lai successful Hong Kong, and Chinese subject exercises adjacent Taiwan.

Speaking to reporters successful Shanghai connected Saturday, Mr Lammy said the meetings were “the opening of a process”, adding it had been important to “restart dialogue”.

He said: “It’s lone successful dialog that we tin bring astir amended knowing and change.”

He added: “I judge what you request is much diplomacy, not less.

“That’s wherefore it’s truthful important to beryllium present arsenic a UK Foreign Secretary and to support coming back.

“And, of course, I was capable to person dialog with the Chinese connected areas wherever we disagree, areas similar Hong Kong, areas similar Taiwan, areas similar quality rights successful Xinjiang, we were capable to person those conversations and rise difficult, challenging issues.”

Mr Lammy is the 2nd British overseas caput to sojourn China successful the past 2 years.

Conservative James Cleverly made the travel successful 2023 but anterior to that, relations betwixt the 2 countries had go strained, with nary overseas caput travelling to Beijing since Jeremy Hunt successful 2018.

Mr Lammy criticised the erstwhile government’s attack to China arsenic “inconsistent”.

Vowing to ever enactment nationalist information first, helium said: “What radical besides privation is consistency. What concern wants is stableness and clarity, and that’s what the UK Government, led by Keir Starmer, promises implicit this adjacent period.”

In statements released aft the meetings successful Beijing, some governments stressed the request for “pragmatic, mutually beneficial cooperation”, though the Foreign Office added that Mr Lammy had raised humans rights and information issues with his Chinese counterpart.

Mr Lammy past travelled to Shanghai to conscionable British businesses to sermon economical links betwixt the UK and China.