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Reuters
Reuters
World

UK's Cleverly raises Xinjiang and Taiwan with Chinese vice president

FILE PHOTO-British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly attends a meeting with teams coordinating the evacuation of British nationals from Sudan at the FCDO Crisis Centre in London, Britain, April 25, 2023. REUTERS/Hannah McKay/Pool

British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said on Friday he had "made plain" Britain's views on Hong Kong, Xinjiang and Taiwan in a meeting with Chinese Vice President Han Zheng during the latter's visit to London for King Charles' coronation.

"Today with VP Han Zheng, I made plain the UK’s views on Hong Kong, Xinjiang and Taiwan," Cleverly said on Twitter. "We also discussed working together on climate change, economic ties and people-to-people links."

The rare meeting between senior government officials from Britain and China comes during a low point in relations.

FILE PHOTO: China's Vice President Han Zheng votes during the fourth plenary session of the National People's Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on March 11, 2023. GREG BAKER/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo

London has restricted Chinese investment over national security worries and expressed concern at Beijing's increasing military and economic assertiveness.

In a speech in London last week, Cleverly urged China to be more open about what he called the biggest military build-up in peacetime history, and said Britain should engage constructively with China despite its "revulsion" over the treatment of Uyghurs in Xinjiang.

A host of foreign dignitaries and heads of state are visiting London for Charles's coronation on Saturday, and British ministers are using the opportunity to hold meetings with foreign leaders.

(Reporting by Sarah Young, writing by Sachin Ravikumar)

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