Li Keqiang pushes economic ties in talks with British business leaders

Chinese premier calls for ‘healthy and stable development’ of relations in virtual meeting with over 30 heads of multinational firms

He says the two countries are important forces in maintaining global peace and safeguarding the multilateral trading system

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Premier Li Keqiang told British business leaders that China wants to resolve differences through dialogue. Photo: Reuters

Published: 8:00pm, 7 Jul 2021Updated: 10:13pm, 7 Jul 2021

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang called for closer cooperation with Britain to boost economic ties during a videoconference with British business leaders, as political tensions simmer between the two countries over human rights.

Li said China wanted to resolve differences through dialogue to promote the “healthy and stable development” of relations, in a meeting on Tuesday with more than 30 leaders of multinational firms including Standard Life, Diageo, AstraZeneca and British Petroleum.

Relations between the countries have been frosty since Britain took a tough line over China’s alleged human rights abuses against Uygurs and other Muslim minorities in the Xinjiang region, and over its policies in Hong Kong.

Li told the business leaders that China and Britain were important forces in maintaining global peace and safeguarding the multilateral trading system in a time of uncertainty.

“Stable China-UK relations are conducive to upholding free and fair trade, pushing forward the global economic recovery, tackling global challenges and creating more benefits for the two peoples,” Li said.

He also said China wanted to improve communication and share its research as a way to fight the pandemic, especially on variants of the coronavirus.

In addition, Li called for more cooperation to tackle climate change in areas like clean energy and said he hoped for further collaboration on green technologies.