British Foreign Secretary David Lammy stated on Saturday that businesses seek “stability and clarity” in trade with China as the UK looks to reset its relations with Beijing under the new Labour government.
Following a meeting with Lammy on Friday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi remarked that the bilateral relationship “now stands at a new starting point,” emphasizing that “competition among major powers should not be the backdrop of this era.”
Lammy’s two-day trip to China began in Beijing and continued with meetings in Shanghai, where he is discussing trade links with British business leaders.
Over the past decade, the UK’s stance towards China has shifted significantly, moving from being a strong supporter to a harsh critic, and now aiming to improve relations.
“I’ve been speaking to British industry, and it’s important to remember that 95% of that business is not in areas related to national security,” Lammy said in an interview.
“Of course, there are areas of national security interests, and we will always prioritize those, but what people also want is consistency—what business wants is stability and clarity,” he added.
China is the UK’s sixth-largest trading partner, accounting for 5% of total trade, according to the British Department for Business and Trade.
Relations between the UK and China under the previous government were strained by disputes over human rights, Hong Kong, and accusations of Chinese espionage.
The Labour government has initiated a comprehensive review of the UK-China relationship, committing to a “clear-eyed” approach amid concerns about Chinese cyber-hacking and espionage.
Lammy noted that during his talks in Beijing, he could engage in discussions on contentious issues such as “Hong Kong, Taiwan, and human rights in Xinjiang.”
Sebastien Lai, son of imprisoned pro-democracy activist and British citizen Jimmy Lai, expressed hope that Lammy had conveyed that “it is impossible to normalize the relationship” while a British national remains jailed for defending democratic freedoms.
Jimmy Lai was arrested in 2020 for fraud and protest involvement, now facing trial for sedition and collusion with foreign forces.
Lammy stressed that “there are values and national security areas where the UK will always prioritize its interests,” while also reaffirming the UK’s unchanged stance on Taiwan and expressing concern over tensions in the Taiwan Strait, which he said are not in the global community’s interests.