Chinese support for Russia in its war against Ukraine could hurt Beijing's ties with Europe, British Foreign Minister David Lammy said Friday as he made a rare diplomatic visit for talks with his counterpart Wang Yi. Lammy flew in for a two-day visit, with the new Labour government in London under pressure to raise the issue of human rights abuses with China but also maintain ties with a major trading partner. In a readout of the meeting, the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office said Lammy called for Chinese cooperation in the fight against climate change as well as on global health issues and the safe development of artificial intelligence.
Both he and Wang described the talks as "constructive", promising a "pragmatic" approach to tackle issues of mutual interest. But Lammy also brought up British concern about Chinese support for the Kremlin since its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, urging Wang to take steps to end the supply of weapons to Russian troops. "He (Lammy) stated how both the UK and China have a shared interest in European peace and ending the war," the statement read.
"He reaffirmed that concerns over China's supply of equipment to Russia's military-industrial complex risks damaging China's relationships with Europe whilst helping to sustain Russia's war." China has boosted ties with Russia since the invasion but says it is a neutral party and denies selling arms to Moscow. NATO member Britain, on the other hand, is a vocal ally of Kyiv and has prom.
