Amid soaring diplomatic tensions between the United Kingdom and the People’s Republic of China, UK’s Foreign Secretary, James Cleverly is set to make a visit to China, in an effort to make amends with the Asia’s powerhouse over their diplomatic relations.
The secretary’s visit will mark the first time in five years, since a British government official made a diplomatic call on the Asian nation. During his visit, Cleverly will hold meetings with Chinese Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, and the Vice-President of China, Han Zheng.
As part of the efforts to develop a new relations with Beijing, the UK diplomat will also try and convince Beijing to denounce its unwavering support for Moscow, in its military incursion in Kyiv.
Cleverly explained that, he would do his possible best and put across UK proposal that would help bring the Russia-Ukraine war “to an appropriate conclusion where Ukraine has its sovereignty respected and the UN charter is upheld”.
Additionally, he would appreciate if Beijing publicly condemned Moscow for its strikes on grain storage facilities in the Ukrainian port city of Odesa, which according to Britain resulted in the loss of 250 million tons of grain reserves.
However, Beijing proposed its own peace plan to Ukraine, but it was met with total rejection from the Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who claimed that, consenting to a cease-fire agreement means, Moscow would hold on to its captured Ukrainian territories.
Ahead of his important visit, James Cleverly asserted that, in this current dispensation, China is very crucial in finding solutions to problems that confront the world, but Beijing needs to uphold its obligations as under international standards and accords.
According to him, China holds the essential keys to any major global issue, be it the avoidance of pandemics, economic instability, or nuclear proliferation.
“China’s size, history and global significance means they cannot be ignored, but that comes with a responsibility on the global stage. That responsibility means China fulfilling its international commitments and obligations.”
James Cleverly, Foreign Secretary UK.
According to analysts, the visit explains the Western world’s desperations to restore diplomatic relations with Asia’s economic powerhouse, in this post-pandemic era.
Among Western diplomats, who have travelled to China this year includes Antony Blinken, the US Secretary of State, and the most recent travel was by Gina Raimondo, the US Secretary of Commerce.
Also, French President, Emmanuel Macron and the Foreign Minister of Germany, Annalena Baerbock, have each made a separate visit to China.
on the other hand, political analysts believe that, the secretary would find it difficult to achieve the purpose of his travel, because of the political tensions between the two countries over the UK’s former colony, Honk Kong.
Also, the former Prime Minister of UK Liz Truss, some months back demanded that, Downing Street takes a more aggressive stance on China’s repressions on its neighbors, particularly, Beijing’s military threats to Taipei and its human right records.
Moreover, Prime Minister Sunak, also regarded China as a long-term threat to UK, and vowed to shut down Beijing’s suspicious institutes on the campuses of UK universities, but has failed to do so.
On the subject of climate change, cleverly also wants to engage the Chinese people favorably. As the world’s greatest investor in sustainable energy and carbon emitter, China’s decisions would be vital to the global community’s ability to solve the climate change problem.
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