British Prime Minister Burnham had a phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping this morning, London time. This was the first time since Burnham took office on July 20. According to the minutes of the conversation released by the Prime Minister's Office, Britain and China plan to ensure that the two sides have a long-term, consistent "comprehensive strategic partnership."
A spokesman for the Prime Minister's Office said that the UK and China are both permanent members of the United Nations Security Council and major economies in the world. During the phone call today, the leaders of the two sides touched on the importance of "pragmatic cooperation" between the UK and China in advancing their respective interests and responding to common global challenges.
The spokesperson pointed out that Andy Burnham and Xi Jinping discussed the opportunities provided by the UK-China relationship, including helping to promote economic growth and improve the living standards of people in the UK and China.
Bonnam said he would conduct "frank and constructive" communications with China on issues of concern to both the UK and China, and would raise the UK's concerns on issues such as UK domestic security, Russia's war in Ukraine, Hong Kong, human rights and "particularly important consular cases."
The so-called "particularly important consular cases" do not exclude the possibility that Jimmy Lai, the founder of Next Media Group, was sentenced to 20 years in prison by a Hong Kong court in February this year for national security-related charges. The Beijing authorities have so far refused the British side to exercise consular access rights to Jimmy Lai. Jimmy Lai is a British citizen.
Landslides and floods occurred on the Nepal border on August 26, leaving more than 30 British citizens missing. A spokesman for the British Prime Minister's Office pointed out that Bonnam today expressed "sincere condolences" to Xi Jinping for the floods that occurred "on the border between Nepal and China" and the resulting deaths; and expressed gratitude to China for its rescue work and support for British nationals affected by the floods.
According to the transcript of the conversation, Bonan and Xi agreed to stay in touch and that the two governments would continue to engage in dialogue on a series of "shared priorities."
On the other hand, according to information released by China, Xi Jinping mentioned that Britain and China are "comprehensive strategic partners". Although their social systems and national conditions are different, "common interests outweigh differences" and both sides should "make the cake of mutually beneficial cooperation bigger."
Xi Jinping also expressed the hope that the British side would "fully protect the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese investors."
In mid-July, the British government placed the poorly managed British Steel Company (British Steel) under government management to ensure the UK's domestic steel production capacity. This caused dissatisfaction with the China Jingye Group, which originally owned British Steel, and threatened to take judicial measures to safeguard its rights.
The influence of Chinese-related funds on British technology, energy, finance and other industries and supply chains continues to attract attention.
Before taking office as the leader of the ruling Labor Party and becoming the British Prime Minister in July this year, Bonnam served as the Chief Minister of Greater Manchester for many years (from May 2017 to June 2026). During this period, he visited China and visited several cities in China.
According to the minutes of the conversation released by China, Bonnam told Xi Jinping today that he had "many years of friendly exchanges" with China when he was the head of the Greater Manchester metropolitan area, and Xi Jinping visited Manchester during his state visit to the UK in 2015. The UK is willing to maintain the continuity of its policy towards China, carry out high-level exchanges, promote cooperation in various fields, and "restore bilateral relations to the highest level in history."
China also said that Bonan said that the UK's position on the Taiwan issue has not changed. The official release of the British news did not mention Taiwan.
The UK will host the Group of 20 (G20) summit next year, which is expected to be held in Manchester.
China is a member of the G20. Keir Starmer, who served as British Prime Minister before Bernan and is also a member of the Labor Party, stated earlier this year that he would be happy to see Xi Jinping visit the UK and attend the G20 Summit in 2027.
