UK finance minister Reeves to meet China's vice premier on London trip
LONDON (Reuters) -British finance minister Rachel Reeves will hold a meeting with Chinese vice premier He Lifeng during his visit to Britain this week for trade talks with the United States, a British government source said on Sunday.
China's foreign ministry said He would be in Britain between June 8 and June 13 when there will be talks in London with three of U.S. President Donald Trump's top aides to try to resolve a trade dispute between the world's two largest economies that has kept global markets on edge.
The British government source said Reeves would host He for a bilateral meeting during the trip, although there were no details on when the talks would be held.
The British finance minister met He during a visit to China in January, part of British attempts to improve ties with Beijing, one of the main policy goals of Prime Minister Keir Starmer's government.
However, many British lawmakers remain sceptical of China amid regular accusations of espionage by spies working for Beijing, and plans for a new large Chinese embassy in London remains a divisive subject, with the opposition Conservative Party saying it must be blocked.
The Chinese government wants to build the embassy at Royal Mint Court, a historic site near the Tower of London, which would be its largest in Europe but its requests for planning permission have been rejected by the local council, and the government will make a final decision.
The Sunday Times reported that a senior U.S. official had said Washington was "deeply concerned" about the plans, due to its proximity to London's financial hubs and three significant data centres, and approval could impact UK-U.S. trade talks.
"These (security) issues will be taken care of assiduously in the planning process," British technology minister Peter Kyle told Sky News on Sunday.
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