Cleverly says China must show ‘responsibility’ on world stage ahead of visit

James Cleverly will visit China on Wednesday, the first such trip by a UK foreign secretary since 2018.

James Cleverly will visit China on Wednesday (Henry Nicholls/PA) (PA Wire)

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly will visit China on Wednesday as part of efforts to ease tensions between the West and Beijing.

He will hold talks with China’s foreign affairs minister Wang Yi and vice president Han Zheng.

The UK believes that engagement with Xi Jinping’s administration is essential given its important economic and political influence around the world.

Mr Cleverly has promised he will raise concerns over human rights and the treatment of Hong Kong during his trip.

And he will argue that with China’s global significance comes a responsibility on international security – helping to end Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, calming tensions in the South China Sea and ceasing malign activity in cyberspace.

Mr Cleverly said: “It is important we manage our relationship with China across a range of issues.

“No significant global problem – from climate change to pandemic prevention, from economic instability to nuclear proliferation – can be solved without China.

“China’s size, history and global significance means they cannot be ignored, but that comes with a responsibility on the global stage.

“That responsibility means China fulfilling its international commitments and obligations.”

Mr Cleverly follows in the footsteps of US counterpart Antony Blinken, who visited Beijing in June, and his trip will be the first by a UK foreign secretary since 2018.

But the visit will be closely watched by China hawks on the Conservative benches, who have grave security concerns about Beijing’s increasing power and accused the Government of an approach resembling the appeasement of Nazi Germany.

Mr Cleverly said he would discuss China’s “posture in the region”, the sanctions imposed by Beijing on MPs and peers who have spoken out about Mr Xi’s administration, and the “failure to abide by the agreements” over Hong Kong.

The problem with our position right now is it smells terribly of appeasement

Sir Iain Duncan Smith

A successful trip could potentially pave the way for talks between Rishi Sunak and Mr Xi, with both leaders invited to attend the G20 summit in India in September.

Mr Cleverly’s visit was condemned as a mistake by former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith, who said it was the latest stage of “Project Kowtow”.

Sir Iain, one of the MPs hit by Chinese sanctions, told the PA news agency: “The problem with our position right now is it smells terribly of appeasement.

“It’s like we want more business, therefore we don’t want to upset the Chinese too much.

“The problem we have got with that is it’s redolent of the 1930s where we just thought ‘Just be nice to these people and complain occasionally but don’t do anything’.

“The result is, what we end up with is that they think we are just too weak.”

He claimed the UK looked like the “soft underbelly” of the Western alliance to China which Beijing was seeking to exploit through business links and its security apparatus.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said: “The two sides will have in-depth communication on Sino-British relations and international and regional issues of common concern.

“We hope the British side will work with us to uphold the spirit of mutual respect, deepen exchanges, enhance mutual understanding and promote the stable development of Sino-British relations.”