Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (right) shakes hands with UK Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs David Lammy as both sides hold the 10th China-UK Strategic Dialogue in London, UK, on February 13, 2025. Photo: Chinese Foreign Ministry

Against the backdrop of rampant unilateral bullying, China and the UK share a responsibility to uphold the post-WWII world order, the UN-centered international system, and the multilateral trading system, Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese foreign minister, said during a phone call with UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy on Tuesday. 

Wang had the phone call on Tuesday with Lammy upon request. 

During the call, Wang said that since the beginning of this year, the China-UK Economic and Financial Dialogue, China-UK Strategic Dialogue, and China-UK Energy Dialogue have been successfully held, and preparations are now underway for dialogues in areas such as artificial intelligence (AI), science and technology, climate change, education, and economic and trade cooperation. 

The momentum of improved and eased China-UK relations has not come by easily, and should be doubly cherished, said Wang. China is ready to work with the UK to follow the strategic guidance of the two countries' leaders, rise above distractions and noise, steer bilateral ties steadily forward, focus on mutually beneficial cooperation, and build up more positive agendas, he said.

Against the backdrop of rampant unilateral bullying today, China and the UK share a responsibility to uphold the post-WWII world order, the UN-centered international system, and the multilateral trading system, according to Wang.

He noted that the US has used tariffs as a weapon to launch indiscriminate attacks on countries, flagrantly violating WTO rules and undermining the legitimate rights and interests of all nations. 

Such actions, which revert state-to-state interactions to the "law of the jungle," represent a dangerous reversal of history. Such erroneous behaviors are unpopular, unsustainable, and are being resisted and opposed by an increasing number of countries. 

As a responsible nation, China stands up to prevent such wrongdoings not only to defend its own legitimate rights and interests, but also to uphold international rules and the multilateral trading system, Wang said, noting that China will continue to pursue high-standard opening-up, engage in win-win cooperation with all countries, and share development opportunities with the world.

For his part, Lammy said the UK appreciates the positive momentum in the current development of bilateral relations and is willing to further enhance high-level and all-level exchanges between the two countries, conduct regular dialogues on bilateral and multilateral issues of common concern, and jointly address challenges, according to the readout released on the website of Chinese foreign ministry. 

The UK has always been an open nation, firmly supporting free trade and upholding the WTO-centered multilateral trading system, said Lammy.

As permanent members of the UN Security Council, China and the UK bear important responsibilities for the sustainable development of the global economy and international trade, and the UK is ready to maintain communication with China on these issues, said Lammy.

The two sides also exchanged views on the Ukrainian crisis and other topics of common concern.

Global Times