Disengaging with China not credible, says James Cleverly

James Cleverly has said it’s important for the country to continue engaging with Chinese officials, saying it would not be “credible” to disengage. 

The foreign secretary met with China’s vice president on the first trip to China made by a senior UK figure in five years. He said the trip would help avoid “mistrust and errors.” 

But ahead of his visit, some UK MPs attacked the government’s approach to China as “incoherent.” 

Relations between the UK and China have deteriorated in recent years following concerns over threats to civil liberties in the former British colony of Hong Kong, threats of espionage and influence operations by China in the UK, and China’s support of Russia during the invasion of Ukraine.