WIREDGOV

EXPERT COMMENT

While engaging with China’s leaders can be beneficial, it must be underpinned by a clear strategy to counter covert influence and manage the risks of economic and technological dependencies.

UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves heads to China this week to meet with Vice-premier He Lifeng and relaunch previously annual talks known as the UK-China Economic and Financial Dialogue, the last of which were held in 2019.

This UK government has demonstrated a greater desire to engage with China than its predecessor. Foreign Secretary David Lammy visited China in October and Prime Minister Keir Starmer met President Xi Jinping in Brazil in November. Prior to this, no UK leader had met their Chinese counterpart since 2018, a relative lack of direct engagement compared with the US and European countries. 

Visits to develop relations between leaders and get an understanding of the personal dynamics at play are necessary to navigate the modern world and tackle challenges to which China is central, not least climate change, poverty and technological development. But for this to be effective, UK politicians need a deeper understanding of how their Chinese counterparts approach diplomatic engagement and where their mindsets diverge. 

Click here to continue reading the full version of this Expert Comment on the Chatham House website.