UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly is scheduled to embark on a visit to China in the final week of August, with talks centered around the situation in Russia and Ukraine, according to sources familiar with his plans. In addition, Cleverly is likely to make a stop in the Philippines during his trip. The specific details of the visit, including the exact dates and agenda, will be announced by the British foreign ministry once they are finalized.
This visit comes after Cleverly had to postpone a previously scheduled visit in July due to the unexpected disappearance of China's then Foreign Minister Qin Gang. Qin has since been replaced by Wang Yi. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has been working towards improving relations with China following a period of heightened tensions arising from China's crackdown on dissidents in Hong Kong and Russia's invasion of Ukraine. While Sunak and Cleverly have referred to China as an "epoch-defining challenge," they have stopped short of categorizing it as a direct threat to UK security, as some more hawkish members of the ruling Conservative Party have advocated.
Cleverly is anticipated to arrive in Beijing on August 29, as reported earlier by Reuters. Earlier this month, Wang extended an invitation to the European Union's top diplomat, Josep Borrell, to visit China in the fall, after a previously planned meeting between Borrell and Qin had been canceled.
The upcoming talks between Cleverly and Chinese officials will provide an opportunity to address and discuss important regional and international issues, particularly the situations in Russia and Ukraine. It is also expected that discussions will touch upon areas of mutual interest and potential cooperation between the UK and China.
As relations between China and the UK continue to evolve, this visit by Cleverly is seen as a step towards a more constructive and engaged dialogue between the two countries. The UK government seeks to balance its economic and political interests with its concerns over human rights, regional security, and global governance issues.