British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper is expected to travel to China in early June, according sources, as London looks to build on comparatively stable relations with Beijing ahead of any potential dispute over a proposed new Chinese embassy in the UK capital.
During the June 2–3 visit, Cooper is scheduled to hold talks in Beijing with her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi before continuing to Shenzhen, where she is expected to meet business leaders, one of the sources said.
‘Reset’ in Ties
Starmer and Chinese leader Xi Jinping announced a “reset” in ties during a January visit to China, following the British government’s approval of plans for Beijing to build its largest embassy in Europe in London, and paving the way for the lifting of Chinese sanctions on six serving lawmakers.
Beijing is a hive of diplomacy, with U.S. President Donald Trump wrapping up a state visit while Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to arrive next week.
Brief Window Of Opportunity
Officials in China and the UK are seeking to hold further rounds of high-level financial and commercial talks this year, with the Starmer government prioritising efforts to attract fresh investment from the world’s second-largest economy, while China seeks improved market access to offset sluggish domestic demand.
But a British government decision in March to block the use of Chinese wind turbine maker Ming Yang Smart Energy in offshore wind projects on security grounds – that dealt a blow to the company’s planned 1.5 billion pound ($2.01 billion) investment in Scotland – has frustrated Beijing, two British officials said.
Furthermore, both British and Chinese officials said they are bracing for the outcome of a High Court review of the government’s January approval of a new Chinese embassy, due in June or July, with Beijing likely to retaliate if the project is stalled again.
Still, the British government is trying to make the most of the current detente, with ties under the previous Conservative government soured by tension during the coronavirus pandemic over human rights and spying accusations.
The Foreign Affairs Select Committee, led by senior Labour lawmaker Emily Thornberry, is expected to visit China later this month, two of the sources said, with stops in Beijing and Guangzhou, according to one of them, who warned the trip may not go ahead due to political upheaval at home.
(With inputs from Reuters)