Latest news with #China-UK
Straits Times
16-05-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Britain's audit on China relations to be released in June, sources say
The Labour government has said the audit would be Britain's first in-depth appraisal of its engagement with China. PHOTO: REUTERS Britain's audit on China relations to be released in June, sources say BEIJING - Britain's long-awaited audit of relations with China is expected to be released in early June, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters, as London seeks to improve commercial ties with Beijing while guarding against perceived security threats. The Labour government has said the audit would be Britain's first in-depth appraisal of its engagement with China and the role of the world's second-largest economy in its supply chains. British security services in 2022 labelled Beijing the nation's top long-term threat due to the relative difficulty in deciphering what exactly China wants. Commissioned shortly after Prime Minister Keir Starmer won power in July 2024, the wide-ranging review comes as the ruling Labour government steps up diplomatic engagement with China after years of tensions under successive Conservative premiers over human rights, Hong Kong and restrictions on investment. "It is hoped that the British side will uphold an objective understanding of China, orientate its policies correctly, and create a good atmosphere for the healthy and stable development of China-UK relations," Mr Lin Jian, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman, told a regular news conference. The UK Foreign Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Reuters previously reported the audit had been watered down by the Labour government, paving the way for a less critical report that could help Mr Starmer focus on boosting economic engagement. The content of the audit is likely to be aligned with the forthcoming national strategic defence review, the sources said, with a government document assessing the UK's military capabilities to be published in the next few months. It was initially expected to be released before US President Donald Trump's inauguration but had been delayed. The report will not herald a major policy shift in the UK government's approach to China, a third source told Reuters. Various government ministries have contributed to the audit, which is being prepared by a team within the Foreign Office. It is likely to largely repeat the government's "three Cs" strategy towards China: challenge, compete and cooperate, Reuters previously reported. British finance minister Rachel Reeves and foreign minister David Lammy have visited China in recent months, with business secretary Jonathan Reynolds expected to make a trip between now and September to revive a key trade dialogue with Beijing, a fourth source said. Preparations are currently being made for Mr Starmer to visit China later in 2025, Reuters has reported, in the first trip to the country by a British leader since 2018. Beijing appreciates the new UK government's more restrained criticism of China, including at 2024's G-20 summit where Mr Starmer declined to condemn the jailing of Hong Kong pro-democracy activists, Chinese officials previously told Reuters. However, the relationship still remains dogged by China's contested plans to build a large new embassy in London and the fallout from revelations last December that a Chinese businessman and former close associate of Prince Andrew was suspected by British authorities of spying for Beijing. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Telegraph
16-04-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
China attacks ‘arrogant and twisted' MPs over British Steel
China has attacked MPs for their 'arrogance, ignorance and twisted mindset' amid a growing diplomatic row over British Steel. A spokesman for Beijing's embassy in London criticised the 'anti-China rhetoric' of certain politicians and warned it could damage economic and trade cooperation between Britain and the Communist country. In a statement, he said British Steel's plan to close its blast furnaces and build electric arc furnaces instead was a 'normal decision' and had only happened as a result of Ed Miliband's net zero plans. The spokesman warned instead of 'slandering the Chinese government and Chinese enterprises', MPs should be criticising Donald Trump over tariffs. He said: 'Any words or deeds that politicise or maliciously hype up business issues will undermine the confidence of Chinese business investors in the UK and damage China-UK economic and trade cooperation.' The comments threaten to deepen a diplomatic rift with Beijing after the Government stepped in to prevent British Steel's Chinese owner Jingye from shutting blast furnaces at its Scunthorpe plant. A number of MPs, led by former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith, have called on the Government to ban China from owning any more critical infrastructure in the UK. Earlier this week, Sir Iain said: 'This is a country which is committing genocide and where there is slave labour, the forced sterilisation of Uyghur women… They are about to dump steel, electric cars and batteries into our country.' On Sunday, Jonathan Reynolds, the Business Secretary, said he did not want to see another company from China in control of the steel firm. He also accused Jingye of trying to shut down the British steel industry following claims from unions the company had cancelled orders for vital raw materials. Government officials were forced to take control of the Scunthorpe site and ensure vital raw materials were delivered in time to keep the blast furnaces going. The spat threatens to jeopardise the Government's efforts to strike a new partnership with the Chinese. Sir Keir Starmer was the first British Prime Minister in six years to meet China's leader Xi Jinping, while Mr Reynolds will visit the country for high-level trade talks later in the year. The spokesman for the Chinese embassy in London said: 'The anti-China rhetoric of some individual British politicians is extremely absurd, reflecting their arrogance, ignorance and twisted mindset. He went on to state 'basic facts' about British Steel, which he said undermined the views of Sir Iain and others. 'The Jingye Group is a private Chinese enterprise that makes business investments in the UK on the basis of market principles and conducts operation on its own,' he said. 'It is well-known that British Steel had been losing money for many years before its acquisition by Jingye in 2020 and actually went into compulsory liquidation in 2019. 'After taking over, Jingye put in substantial funding to keep the company afloat to this day. Had it not been for the involvement of this Chinese company, British Steel workers might have already faced the risk of unemployment.' He said: 'It is understood that under the UK government's net zero strategy, steel companies that use iron ore to make steel must achieve net zero emissions by 2035. 'To that end, British steel companies including British Steel have all negotiated with the government to find a path to decarbonisation transition.' The spokesman said that 'generally speaking', Chinese companies in the UK have operated in compliance with law and achieved steady progress. Chinese companies in Britain have contributed over '£115 billion to the UK economy and created nearly 60,000 jobs,' he said. The spokesman said: 'At a time when the US is wielding the tariff stick against all countries, the UK included, and engaging in unilateral and protectionist trade bullying, those British politicians just keep slandering the Chinese government and Chinese enterprises instead of criticising the United States. What on earth are they up to?' He added: 'We urge the British government to follow the principles of fairness, impartiality and non-discrimination and to make sure that the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies in the UK are protected. 'At the same time, it is hoped that the British government will continue to engage in consultations and negotiations with Jingye to actively seek a solution acceptable to all parties. We will continue to follow the development of this situation.' 'Ban China from owning UK infrastructure' Earlier this week, Sir Iain called on the Government to bar China from owning any national infrastructure at all, such as nuclear power stations. He said: 'We cannot have other nations which are not part of the alliance owning Britain's national infrastructure,' he said. 'We cannot continue allowing access to countries which do not play by the rules, and which do not have democracy and the rule of law. 'Not just steel but nuclear, the manufacture of high tech equipment, tanks and engineering, aircraft manufacture. 'All these things have got to be run in the UK and we should only welcome investment from countries we can trust.' Zengwei An, chief executive of Jingye British Steel, said since his company acquired the business on March 9, 2020 'we have stayed unwavering in our commitment to improving the operation and sustainable development of British Steel'. He said: 'We have made crucial project investments to ensure British Steel's normal production and operation. Despite unprecedented challenges such as Brexit, Covid-19 and the energy crisis, we have safeguarded over 4,800 jobs and provided high-quality products and services to domestic and international customers, thus contributing to the economic growth of local communities. This is a fact evident to all. 'We express our understanding for the Steel Industry (Special Measures) Act 2025 the UK Government introduced on 12 April 2025. 'We will engage in active communication with the UK Government to seek a proper solution that ensures a bright future for British Steel. We request that the UK Government respect and protect the legitimate rights and interests of Jingye as a foreign investor throughout this process.'
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Armed Forces head under fire over China visit
The head of the British military has been criticised for visiting China earlier this week. Adml Sir Tony Radakin's trip marked the first time in 10 years that a UK official of his rank had travelled to Beijing for talks. Sir Tony and members of China's central military commission discussed 'issues of common concern' during the visit on Wednesday, according to the country's defence ministry. However, Sir Iain Duncan Smith, the former Tory leader, described the Chief of the Defence Staff's trip as 'terrible' and an act of 'appeasement'. He told The Telegraph: 'China is a brutal state, guilty of genocide in Xinjiang. It has seized the South China Sea and is militarising it, is threatening to invade Taiwan, carries out cyber attacks on UK installations at home and abroad, and supports Russia in its illegal invasion of Ukraine by buying sanctioned oil and gas from Russia.' Sir Iain added that China was also 'an ally of Iran and brokered the North Korean-Russian defence pact, within which Russia is giving North Korea sub-launch ballistic missile technology, increasing the threat to Western states'. He described the meeting as a 'ghastly game of appeasement' and added that the visit had been made by a Labour Government 'that is kowtowing to China'. Bob Seely, a former Tory MP and China hawk, said the visit represented Labour's desire to 'reset relations with China', but was 'based on weakness, not strength, and increasing supply chain dependency'. Gen Liu Zhenli, a member of China's central military commission, was among those who held talks with Sir Tony during his visit. An official readout of their meeting said: 'The two sides conducted in-depth exchanges on China-UK relations and mil-to-mil relations, international and regional situations and issues of common concern, and had communication on strengthening exchanges and co-operation between the two militaries.' The Telegraph understands that Sir Tony's visit was seen as a natural continuation of the Government's desire to 'reset' relations with China after Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor, visited Beijing in January. Her trip followed a similar visit by David Lammy, the Foreign Secretary, to the country at the end of last year. Sir Keir Starmer has yet to visit Beijing as Prime Minister, although it is understood a trip is being planned. The Telegraph understands that while Sir Tony's visit aimed to establish cordial relations, there are no plans to begin joint military exercises between the two nations. On Thursday night, he posted on X that he had visited China to discuss 'a range of security issues'. Sir Tony added: 'We agreed that, in an unstable world, we must play our part as responsible nations with global interests, and we reflected on the importance of military-to-military communications.' He also gave a speech to future Chinese military commanders at the People's Liberation Army National Defence University in Beijing, according to The Times. The Ministry of Defence did not appear to publicise the visit, which comes just days after Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, said his forces had captured two Chinese citizens who had been fighting on behalf of Russia. The last time a chief of the defence staff visited China was in 2015, when Gen Sir Nicholas Houghton travelled to the country during a period of good relations. The UK-China relationship has since become more tense, amid concerns about Beijing's human rights record and growing global influence. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
10-04-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Armed Forces head under fire over China visit
The head of the British military has been criticised for visiting China earlier this week. Adml Sir Tony Radakin's trip marked the first time in 10 years that a UK official of his rank had travelled to Beijing for talks. Sir Tony and members of China's central military commission discussed 'issues of common concern' during the visit on Wednesday, according to the country's defence ministry. However, Sir Iain Duncan Smith, the former Tory leader, described the Chief of the Defence Staff's trip as 'terrible' and an act of 'appeasement'. He told The Telegraph: 'China is a brutal state, guilty of genocide in Xinjiang. It has seized the South China Sea and is militarising it, is threatening to invade Taiwan, carries out cyber attacks on UK installations at home and abroad, and supports Russia in its illegal invasion of Ukraine by buying sanctioned oil and gas from Russia.' Sir Iain added that China was also 'an ally of Iran and brokered the North Korean-Russian defence pact, within which Russia is giving North Korea sub-launch ballistic missile technology, increasing the threat to Western states'. He described the meeting as a 'ghastly game of appeasement' and added that the visit had been made by a Labour Government 'that is kowtowing to China'. Trip 'based on weakness' Bob Seely, a former Tory MP and China hawk, said the visit represented Labour's desire to ' reset relations with China ', but was 'based on weakness, not strength, and increasing supply chain dependency'. Gen Liu Zhenli, a member of China's central military commission, was among those who held talks with Sir Tony during his visit. An official readout of their meeting said: 'The two sides conducted in-depth exchanges on China-UK relations and mil-to-mil relations, international and regional situations and issues of common concern, and had communication on strengthening exchanges and co-operation between the two militaries.' The Telegraph understands that Sir Tony's visit was seen as a natural continuation of the Government's desire to 'reset' relations with China after Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor, visited Beijing in January. Her trip followed a similar visit by David Lammy, the Foreign Secretary, to the country at the end of last year. Sir Keir Starmer has yet to visit Beijing as Prime Minister, although it is understood a trip is being planned. The Telegraph understands that while Sir Tony's visit aimed to establish cordial relations, there are no plans to begin joint military exercises between the two nations. On Thursday night, he posted on X that he had visited China to discuss 'a range of security issues'. On Wednesday I met with Gen Liu Zhenli, Chief of Staff of the Joint Staff Department of the Central Military Commission, in Beijing and held talks on a range of security issues. (1/2) — Chief of the Defence Staff 🇬🇧 (@AdmTonyRadakin_) April 10, 2025 Sir Tony added: 'We agreed that, in an unstable world, we must play our part as responsible nations with global interests, and we reflected on the importance of military-to-military communications.' He also gave a speech to future Chinese military commanders at the People's Liberation Army National Defence University in Beijing, according to The Times. The Ministry of Defence did not appear to publicise the visit, which comes just days after Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, said his forces had captured two Chinese citizens who had been fighting on behalf of Russia. The last time a chief of the defence staff visited China was in 2015, when Gen Sir Nicholas Houghton travelled to the country during a period of good relations.
The Independent
10-04-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Head of the British armed forces visits China for first time in 10 years
The head of the British armed forces has visited China for the first time in a decade. Admiral Sir Tony Radakin discussed 'issues of common concern' with China's military leadership when he visited Beijing, according to China's defence ministry. General Liu Zhenli, a member of China's central military commission, was among those who held talks with Sir Tony on Wednesday. 'The two sides conducted in-depth exchanges on China-UK relations and mil-to-mil relations, international and regional situations and issues of common concern, and had communication on strengthening exchanges and co-operation between the two militaries,' a readout of their meeting said. The Chief of the Defence Staff also gave a speech to future Chinese military commanders, at the People's Liberation Army National Defence University in Beijing, according to the Times newspaper. The Ministry of Defence did not appear to publicise the visit, which comes just days after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said his forces had captured Chinese citizens who had been fighting on behalf of Russia. Posting on X, Sir Tony said: 'On Wednesday I met with Gen Liu Zhenli, Chief of Staff of the Joint Staff Department of the Central Military Commission, in Beijing and held talks on a range of security issues. 'We agreed that in an unstable world we must play our part as responsible nations with global interests, and we reflected on the importance of military-to-military communications.' The last time a chief of the defence staff visited China was in 2015, when General Sir Nicholas Houghton travelled there during a period of good relations. The UK-China relationship has since become more tense, amid concerns about Beijing's human rights record and growing influence, but ministers have taken steps to deepen ties since Labour came to power. Foreign Secretary David Lammy visited Shanghai and Beijing in October, and Chancellor Rachel Reeves engaged in trade talks during a visit to China in January. Sir Tony has returned to Europe since visiting Beijing. He was in Brussels on Thursday with Defence Secretary John Healey for talks to further the so-called coalition of the willing, aimed at policing a future peace deal in Ukraine.
