Failure to cooperate with China would be a sign of weakness, says Cleverly

British Foreign Secretary James Cleverley and Chinese Vice President Han Zheng before meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China Photo: Florence Lo/Poole

James Cleverly insisted that not cooperating with China would be a sign of weakness when defending his trip to Beijing this week.

The foreign secretary landed in the Chinese capital. on Tuesday evening, becoming the first person in this position to visit the country in half a decade.

Mr. Cleverly's trip will set the stage for Rishi Sunak's meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, which is being sought at the G20 summit in India next month.

But it also exposed a split within the Tory party over how to strike a balance between engaging with and opposing China.

The Telegraph understands that there are figures at Mr. Sunak's cabinet table who oppose Mr. on Cleverly.

«Sucking up»

A senior Whitehall official accused the Foreign Secretary of «sucking up» to the Chinese and questioned the wisdom of the visit.

Mr Cleverly spoke out now met critics of his trip in the forehead and defended the diplomatic obligation.

The foreign secretary told the Financial Times (FT): «Consciously giving up our position in the world, the authority and the voice that we have, will be seen as a sign of weakness, not a sign of strength.» /p>

He also appears to have rejected the approach of Liz Truss, the former prime minister who first appointed him foreign minister.

Ms. Truss wanted to declare China a «threat» in a revised document on foreign policy and diplomatic strategy.

The FT quoted Mr. Cleverley as saying he would not conduct foreign policy using «buzzwords».

The Foreign Minister will discuss Hong Kong, the climate crisis and the war in Ukraine with senior Chinese officials during his first visit. British Foreign Secretary to China since 2018.

Sanctions against British MPs

He will also pressure Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Vice President Han Zheng to lift sanctions on British MPs. meetings on Wednesday.

But one of the MPs sanctioned by China, Sir Ian Duncan Smith, a former leader of the Conservative Party who has long called for a tougher UK government stance on Beijing, criticized the trip.

Sir Ian said, «The problem with our position right now is that it smells awfully peaceful.

«Like we want more business, so we don't want to upset the Chinese too much.»

«The problem we're having is that it's reminiscent of the 1930s when we just thought, 'Just be nice to these people and complain from time to time, but don't do anything.'

“As a result, we get what they think we are too weak.”

Mr. Sunak was supposed to meet with Mr. Xi Jinping at the G20 summit in Bali last November, but the meeting was torn down. canceled at the last minute due to developments in the war in Ukraine.

Another meeting is planned for the G20 summit in India, which Mr. Sunak will attend in early September.

The PM has notably abandoned his hard-line rhetoric against China, which he used during the Tory race in 2022, instead stating the need for engagement.

Calls on the UK to strengthen ties with Taiwan

Mr. Cleverly's visit coincides with the release of the Foreign Affairs Committee's report on the government's «Indo-Pacific Bias», which calls for the UK to strengthen ties with Taiwan to curb Chinese expansionism.

The report is likely to anger his host in Beijing with his persistent calls for the UK to «defend» Taiwan's right to self-determination, labeling it as having «virtual independence» and criticizing officials for failing to clarify its long-term plans. strategy in the region to better contain a «more aggressive» China.

“Taiwan is already an independent country called the Republic of China (Republic of China),” the report said.

It added: “Taiwan has all the necessary conditions for statehood, including a resident population, a defined territory, a government, and the ability to enter into relations with other states.

The issue of Taiwan's sovereignty is very sensitive to the leaders of the Chinese Communist Party, who claim that the democratic island is their own territory despite never ruling there.

Mr. Cleverley is understood to discuss Taiwan with Beijing officials, as well as with Xinjiang, Tibet, the South China Sea and Hong Kong.

The UK government recognizes but does not recognize Beijing's one-China principle, which declares Taiwan part of China and states that the territorial dispute must be resolved through dialogue. on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.

The new report calls for stronger UK action to «deter and punish Chinese aggression» against Taiwan, directly criticizing Beijing for its intimidating rhetoric and military maneuvers, and working to secure Taipei's membership in international organizations.

The new report recommends that the UK will work with allies to «prepare economic sanctions against China to be applied in the event of an invasion or economic blockade of Taiwan» and not to recognize China's sovereignty over Taiwan if it accepts it without Taiwanese consent.

“Taiwan is an important ally and partner of the UK. The government must stand shoulder to shoulder with Taiwan, making it clear that attempts to undermine Taiwanese self-determination are unacceptable,” said MP Alicia Kearns, chair of the committee.

In one of its broader conclusions, the committee “recognizes the activities of the Communist Party of China as a threat to the UK» and asks the UK government to publish an unclassified version of its China strategy.