UK Defends Bilateral Talks With China in Three-Day Asia Trip
U.K. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper defended their meeting with China, which is part of a three-day trip in Asia that included a visit to India."China is the second largest economy and like the U.K. is a permanent member of the UN Security Council. We must engage for the U.K.'s security and prosperity in line with British values," Cooper said in social media platform X.Cooper met with Foreign Minister Wang Yi to discuss issues such as the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and the war in Ukraine, as well as the Ebola virus.Prime Minister Keir Starmer's government started to seek rekindling bilateral ties with Beijing with a visit to China in January, but tensions still remain, according to Nikkei Asia on Monday.The U.K. barred wind turbine manufacturer Ming Yang Smart Energy (SHA:601615) from constructing a factory in Scotland in March. Later in April, the government seized the ownership of British Steel from Chinese steelmaker Jingye Group, the report said.Sibylline's chief analyst, Sam Olsen, said the U.K. government is making a "pragmatic engagement" with Beijing but both sides are not defining the relationship in the same way. Meanwhile, China Strategic Risks Institute's Sam Goodman said the U.K. and China should have a relationship "built on reciprocity", which will require China to rebalance trade and open its market, as well as cease overcapacity, according to the media outlet.Meanwhile, Cooper met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to deepen relations under the India-U.K. Vision 2035 framework, which includes technology, defense, education and climate in its scope, Nikkei Asia said.