British Foreign Secretary, James Cleverly, is set to visit China on Wednesday, in an attempt to repair the shaky relationship between the two countries.
The trip is significant because it’s the first time a U.K. foreign secretary has visited China in over five years, ABC news report.
Confirming the visit on Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Minister, Wang Wenbin, said “The two sides will have in-depth communication on Sino-British relations and international and regional issues of common concern.
“We hope the British side will work with us to uphold the spirit of mutual respect, deepen exchanges, enhance mutual understanding and promote the stable development of Sino-British relations.”
The visit by British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly to China is coming amid the tension between the two countries and it is intended to mend their relationship. The sources of tension includes; alleged human rights violations in Hong Kong and Xinjiang, China’s support for Russia, and Britain’s close ties to the U.S.