China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi told visiting UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper on Tuesday that exchanges and cooperation between the two countries have fully resumed and are steadily returning to normal.
Wang welcomed Cooper to Beijing and urged the United Kingdom to provide Chinese firms with a fair and non-discriminatory business environment. He also called on Britain to set reasonable definitions for security boundaries, comments that underline Beijing’s interest in clearer rules governing economic and technological interactions.
Cooper is the most senior UK official to travel to China since Prime Minister Keir Starmer visited in January in an effort to thaw relations that had deteriorated over issues including alleged human rights abuses and accusations of spying. The Starmer government earlier this year approved plans for a new Chinese embassy near the Tower of London, a project that had been delayed for years amid political objections.
During their meeting Cooper said the UK is prepared to manage differences with China constructively and to deepen cooperation in areas including trade, finance, energy, artificial intelligence and climate change. Her agenda in China includes a scheduled visit to Shenzhen on Wednesday before she continues on to India.
The UK government said Cooper’s talks with Chinese officials were expected to address a range of international challenges. These include security developments in the Strait of Hormuz, the war in Ukraine and the Ebola outbreak in Africa, all of which were listed by UK officials as likely focal points for discussion.
The conversations in Beijing mark a step toward normalizing diplomatic and economic engagement after a period of strained relations. Both sides emphasized the potential benefits of resumed exchanges while also flagging areas where clearer rules and continued dialogue will be necessary.
Context and next steps
Cooper’s visit, and the mutual language about normalization, signals an opening for coordinated work across the economic and security areas named by both governments. Her subsequent travel to India will follow the meetings in China, continuing a regional diplomatic itinerary.