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In sign of easing UK-China ties, British Foreign Secretary set for talks, tech hub visit
Announcement comes days after delegations from both countries sat down at Shangri-La Dialogue to discuss concrete military engagement
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Fan ChenPublished: 6:24pm, 31 May 2026Updated: 7:40pm, 31 May 2026British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper is visiting China this week, signalling a further easing in ties following a summit earlier this year.
Cooper will meet her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi and Vice-President Han Zheng on Tuesday, Reuters quoted the British government as saying on Sunday.
Among the topics on the agenda are the Strait of Hormuz, the Russia-Ukraine war and the Ebola outbreak in Africa, the report said.
Xi Jinping urges stable partnership in talks with UK leader
Cooper will then head to the southern Chinese tech hub of Shenzhen on Wednesday before travelling to India on Thursday.
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Beijing confirmed on Sunday that Cooper would visit from Monday to Wednesday.
It follows Keir Starmer’s visit to China in January, the first by a British prime minister since 2018.Advertisement
During the trip, Chinese President Xi Jinping called for a “new chapter” in ties, and the two leaders vowed to deepen dialogue and cooperation and develop a long-term strategic partnership.
Ties between Beijing and London were locked for years in what Starmer described as an “ice age” frozen by disputes over China’s proposed “super-embassy” in London, British warnings regarding Chinese espionage and the conviction of former Hong Kong media boss Jimmy Lai Chee-ying.AdvertisementSelect VoiceSelect Speed00:0000:001.00x