Following his appointment on July 20 as Britain’s foreign secretary by new prime minister Andy Burnham, Ed Miliband attended meetings around the ASEAN Regional Forum, held this year in the Philippines’ capital Manila, later in the week.
Among Miliband’s bilateral meetings was that with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, held on the morning of July 23.
Wang Yi congratulated Ed Miliband on assuming his new post and noted that as major countries in the world and permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, China and the UK have a relationship that goes beyond the bilateral scope and carries global significance. He further expressed the hope that the UK will abide by the one-China principle, safeguard the political foundation of bilateral relations, provide a fair, just and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese enterprises in the UK, and avoid securitising economic and trade issues.
Wang added that the vision of building a community with a shared future for humanity and the four major global initiatives put forward by President Xi Jinping address the deficits in peace, development, security and governance facing the international community, articulate the vision and goals of China’s diplomacy, and provide important public goods for the world. China and the UK need to work together to transcend differences, jointly uphold multilateralism, support the revitalisation of the core role of the United Nations, oppose unilateral bullying and protectionism, and make greater contributions to world peace and development.
Ed Miliband stated that the new UK government attaches great importance to its relations with China. As major countries with significant influence in the world, the UK and China should continue to strengthen cooperation on global security, health and development issues. The UK is ready to strengthen exchanges at all levels with China, expand cooperation in areas such as climate change, and enhance multilateral communication and coordination.
As indicated in Wang’s above remarks, China is adopting a positive attitude towards relations with the new British government. However, Burnham’s government will need to responsibly address a serious problem it has inherited from the previous administration of Keir Starmer, namely the expropriation of the Scunthorpe steel plant hitherto owned by China’s Jingye company. The importance China places on this can be discerned from the headline given by the Xinhua News Agency to its report on the meeting, ‘Chinese FM urges Britain to avoid imposing security implications on economic, trade issues’.
Speaking at a reception held at his embassy that evening to mark the 99th anniversary of the founding of China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA), Chinese ambassador to the UK Zheng Zeguang described his foreign minister’s meeting with Miliband earlier in the day as having been “very productive”.
On his X social media account, Miliband wrote: “Our relationship with China matters – for security, the economy and climate.
“Glad to discuss Ukraine and the Middle East with Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
“We are taking a consistent, long term and strategic approach to relations with China, rooted in UK and global interests.”
Miliband last visited China in March 2025 as Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero.
On July 20, Chinese Premier Li Qiang had congratulated Andy Burnham on his assuming office as British prime minister.
Li said China and Britain are both permanent members of the UN Security Council and major global economies. Stronger dialogue and cooperation will not only advance the development of both countries but also contribute to greater stability and global peace.
Li further expressed his readiness to work with Burnham to strengthen engagement, deepen mutual trust, expand exchanges and cooperation, and advance the long-term and stable comprehensive strategic partnership, bringing greater benefits to both countries and their peoples.
Andy Burnham previously led a trade mission to China in September 2018 as Mayor of Greater Manchester.
The following article was originally published on the website of the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
Wang Yi Meets with British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband
July 23 (MFA) – On the morning of July 23, 2026, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband in Manila.
Wang Yi congratulated Ed Miliband on assuming the new post and noted that as major countries in the world and permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, China and the UK have a relationship that goes beyond the bilateral scope and carries global significance. China values the UK’s statement that the new government’s policy toward China will maintain continuity and stability. It is hoped that the UK will abide by the one-China principle, safeguard the political foundation of bilateral relations, provide a fair, just and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese enterprises in the UK, and avoid securitizing economic and trade issues. China looks forward to maintaining close high-level exchanges with the new UK government, consolidating political mutual trust, deepening practical cooperation, and continuously advancing the comprehensive strategic partnership. The vision of building a community with a shared future for humanity and the four major global initiatives put forward by President Xi Jinping address the deficits in peace, development, security and governance facing the international community, articulate the vision and goals of China’s diplomacy, and provide important public goods for the world. China and the UK need to work together to transcend differences, jointly uphold multilateralism, support the revitalization of the core role of the United Nations, oppose unilateral bullying and protectionism, and make greater contributions to world peace and development.
Ed Miliband stated that the new UK government attaches great importance to its relations with China and will continue to build a long-term and stable comprehensive strategic partnership with China, which serves the strategic interests of both sides. As major countries with significant influence in the world, the UK and China should continue to strengthen cooperation on global security, health and development issues. The UK has long pursued its policy on the Taiwan question since the establishment of diplomatic relations with China, and this remains unchanged. The UK is ready to strengthen exchanges at all levels with China, expand cooperation in areas such as climate change, and enhance multilateral communication and coordination, so as to promote the long-term, sound and steady development of UK-China relations.
The two sides also exchanged views on international and regional issues, including the situation in the Middle East and the Gulf.
