Easing tension... James Cleverly and China’s foreign minister Wang Yi (Image: Getty)
The Foreign Secretary insisted the trip would help avoid “mistrust and errors” with the economic and -military giant.
But he said the UK was “clear-eyed” that the Asian nation would not change “overnight”.
The visit, the first by a Foreign Secretary for five years, comes as tensions rise over Hong Kong, -espionage by China in the UK and its support of Russia during the invasion of Ukraine.
Mr Cleverly said he would use the opportunity to speak “directly and unambiguously” on areas of disagreement. He added: “I’m realistic that one phone call, one visit, one meeting isn’t going to fundamentally change the direction of travel.”
And he insisted “patient, consistent and reliable communication could have an effect”.
READ MORE: 'Chinese spies infiltrating UK' as Cleverly warned not to go soft during visit
James Cleverly, Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs (Image: Getty)
The visit comes as speculation mounts at the prospect of Rishi Sunak meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping at next week’s G20 summit. Asked about China’s support for Russia, Mr Cleverly said Xi had an interest in bringing the war in Ukraine to “a fair and successful conclusion”.
He added: “I don’t think it is in China’s interest for there to be a perception they support actively or even passively Putin’s actions.” Mr Cleverly said the UK wanted to maintain economic ties with China but added: “National security comes first.”
Mr Cleverly met China’s vice president Han Zheng at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. He also had talks with foreign affairs minister Wang Yi. In recent months US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Secretary of State Antony Blinken have visited China in a bid to restart communications between the superpowers.
The UK-China relationship has changed dramatically since 2015, when David Cameron’s government hailed it as a “golden era”.
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China’s vice president Han Zheng (Image: Getty)
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Since then the relationship has soured and many leading Tories are unhappy with Mr Cleverly’s visit.
The Government has criticised China for its treatment of Uyghur Muslims and in 2021 banned Huawei from the UK’s 5G infrastructure, citing security concerns.
In the same year, China banned five MPs – including former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith – accusing them of spreading “lies and disinformation”. Sir Iain blasted Mr Cleverly’s meetings, comparing the Government’s approach to the appeasement of Nazi Germany in the 1930s.
The Commons Foreign Affairs Committee has also described the activities of the Chinese Communist Party as “a threat to the UK and its interests” in a report. Chair Alicia Kearns said Mr Cleverly should also now visit Taiwan – the self-governing island that China claims as its own.
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