Riyaz ul Khaliq
14 February 2025•Update: 14 February 2025
ISTANBUL
China has urged the UK to “enhance” mutual trust between the two nations as the world has become “volatile.”
This was conveyed to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday by China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who is on an official trip to the UK.
“The world is becoming volatile, and changes unseen in a century are unfolding at a faster pace,” Wang told Keir.
“China and Britain should strengthen strategic communication, enhance mutual understanding and trust, and demonstrate their responsibilities as major countries… to contribute greater certainty and stability to the world,” Wang said, according to a statement released by the Foreign Ministry in Beijing.
He urged the UK to “deepen cooperation” with China in key areas, including climate change, artificial intelligence, and green development.
These areas “concern the future of humanity,” said the Chinese diplomat, who also co-chaired the 10th China-UK Strategic Dialogue with his British counterpart David Lammy in London.
This was the first time since 2018 that such dialogue was held by the two sides.
Lammy made his first official trip to China last October when Wang told his British counterpart that Beijing and London should respect each other's concerns, strengthen dialogue, and enhance understanding on the basis of equality.
Recalling the China-UK Economic and Financial Dialogue held in Beijing last month, Wang told the British prime minister that it has “produced fruitful results and exchanges at all levels have been resumed.”
“This demonstrates the huge potential of practical cooperation between the two countries and also fully proves that the Labour government's rational and pragmatic policy towards China is in line with the interests of the country and people and conforms to the trend of the times,” said the Chinese foreign minister.
