From 27 to 28 April, Special Representative of the Chinese Government on Korean Peninsula Affairs Liu Xiaoming met in London separately with former Minister for the Cabinet Office David Lidington and former First Secretary of State Peter Mandelson, and had a roundtable with British friends from various sectors. The two sides exchanged views on the situation on the Korean Peninsula, China-UK relations and other issues of mutual interest. Minister Yang Xiaoguang of the Chinese Embassy to the UK attended the meetings.

Liu Xiaoming shared China’s analysis of the current situation on the Korean Peninsula and called on all parties to stay cool-headed, exercise restraint and avoid taking actions that could further escalate tensions. He pointed out that China supports all efforts conducive to de-escalation and resumption of dialogue, and supports relevant parties in addressing each other’s concerns through dialogue and consultation.

Liu Xiaoming elaborated on China’s position on developing its relations with the UK. He said that China will take the opportunities brought by the 50th anniversary of ambassadorial level diplomatic relations to expand friendly exchanges with the UK, so as to deepen political mutual trust, properly handle differences and achieve continued progress in bilateral relations.

The British side agreed that the Peninsula issue should be peacefully resolved via diplomacy and expressed support for China to play an important role in addressing the issue. They affirmed their commitment to the development of UK-China relations, called for stronger UK-China cooperation to meet global challenges together, and expressed willingness to contribute their part to the growth of bilateral ties.