‘I love China,’ Boris Johnson tells Xi Jinping in phone call covering belt and road projects and coronavirus, among other issues
- British prime minister again displays a cosiness with Beijing that contrasts with his hardline approach to the European Union amid Brexit trade talks
- The Chinese leader also speaks with French President Emmanuel Macron and Croatian President Zoran Milanovic
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has told President Xi Jinping that Britain welcomed Chinese investment under Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative, a geopolitical move that will probably further upset the Trump administration.
In another move that will unnerve Brussels, Xi said in a separate phone call with the president of Croatia – which currently holds the EU presidency – that China seeks to deepen ties with Central and Eastern European countries.
Johnson’s pledge to stay close to China on international issues comes after his government refused to heed Washington’s request to impose a ban on Huawei Technologies, giving the Chinese tech giant a share in Britain’s next-generation 5G mobile networks.
Xi, in return, reassured Britain that China’s economy was still in good shape, as he attempts to prevent a decline in business confidence amid the coronavirus outbreak.