China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi and UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy expressed optimism for a renewed partnership, agreeing to restore dialogue and cooperation in areas like trade, finance, and green development.
Wang Yi stressed the importance of mutual respect and non-interference, while Lammy emphasized the need for a consistent UK policy on China, critical for economic growth.
With China accounting for 5% of the UK’s trade and supporting 129,000 jobs, both sides are keen to expand cooperation, particularly in education and global challenges.
#ChinaUKRelations #WangYi #DavidLammy #Trade #Diplomacy #ForeignPolicy
Wang Yi stressed the importance of mutual respect and non-interference, while Lammy emphasized the need for a consistent UK policy on China, critical for economic growth.
With China accounting for 5% of the UK’s trade and supporting 129,000 jobs, both sides are keen to expand cooperation, particularly in education and global challenges.
#ChinaUKRelations #WangYi #DavidLammy #Trade #Diplomacy #ForeignPolicy
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NewsTranscript
00:00Well, it seems like it was a very, very productive meeting.
00:03China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi saying that China-UK relations have come a long way, and
00:09this is being seen as a new starting point, if you will.
00:13China is willing to work with the UK to uphold international order, we understand, address
00:18global challenges, and achieve national development for the two countries.
00:24But the minister was saying that China wants a relationship that is based on mutual understanding
00:30and respect for each other's concerns, and neither country, he said, should interfere
00:36in each other's internal affairs.
00:38And on that basis, China has agreed to restore dialogue and cooperation mechanisms, and this
00:47is what the minister had to say.
00:52We hope to follow the consensus reached by our leaders, respect each other's concerns,
00:56deepen strategic communication, build a long-term and stable policy framework, restart our various
01:02dialogue and cooperation mechanisms, deepen exchanges and cooperation in trade, finance,
01:08green development, science, technology, health, education, and people-to-people exchanges,
01:15and take mutual benefit as the main theme, so as to usher in a new stage of stable development
01:20of China-UK relations.
01:23Well, the UK Foreign Secretary David Lammie has spoken as well.
01:27He said that the British government is committed to strengthening dialogue and cooperation
01:32with China.
01:33He said that the UK wants to embark on a new journey to develop the partnership that they
01:39have, to expand cooperation, so areas such as climate change, technology, and investment
01:46as well, and also, crucially, I think, agreeing to manage their differences in a mutually
01:52respectful way.
01:54David Lammie said businesses want stability and clarity in trade with China.
01:59What kind of trading relationship does the UK want to have with China under this new
02:06Labour government?
02:08Well, the new UK Labour government, their priority is, as you would expect at this stage,
02:14economic growth.
02:16That would be very hard if they don't have a good working relationship with their sixth
02:21largest trading partner.
02:24According to the UK government's Department for Business and Trade, China accounts for
02:28around 5% of total trade with the United Kingdom.
02:33So you're talking imports and exports, investment, and financial services as well.
02:38So that's a significant contribution to the UK economy, and links to China support around
02:45129,000 jobs here in the UK too.
02:50So certainly trade and investment, they're going to be very key areas.
02:55China also has the largest cohort of foreign students here in the United Kingdom.
03:01So around 150,000 were enrolled in British universities back in the 2021-22 academic
03:09year, and they contribute around $7 billion to the UK economy.
03:16So the Labour government will be very keen for that to continue as well.
03:21They'll want it, no doubt, to grow.
03:23Mr Lammie has said that he wants also cooperation in energy, science, technology.
03:30But crucially, he said that what he wants now is a consistent policy over the UK's stance
03:37on China.
03:39He's criticised previous governments for not having that, for not doing so.
03:43And he said that his visit to hold these talks so early in the new government was significant.
03:51This is what he had to say.
03:53It's very important for me to be here in China just after 100 days in government.
04:01UK policy in the past under the last government was not consistent.
04:06And what I'm hearing is that we need consistency in our approach.
04:12What business wants is stability and clarity.
04:16And that's what the UK government, led by Keir Starmer, promises over this next period.