UK Foreign Secretary Concludes Visits to China and India, Focusing on Economy and Security
UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper concluded visits to China and India, with talks focusing on economic and security issues including freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, Russia's war in Ukraine, and AI safety. Unlike China's readout, the UK statement did not mention Taiwan.
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- 📰 Published: June 7, 2026 at 05:09
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(Central News Agency, Staff Reporter Chen Yunyu, London, 6th Special Dispatch) British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has concluded her visits to China and India. According to information released by the UK Foreign Office on the 6th, Cooper's visit and meeting schedule focused on economic and security affairs, including freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, Russia's aggressive war in Ukraine, and artificial intelligence (AI).
Unlike the Chinese side, the UK's statement did not mention Taiwan.
Cooper stated that the UK is strengthening its economic and security partnerships with India and China, including maritime security and AI safety, with much work underway, "because they are some of the most important major powers in the world, and the UK needs to engage with major powers."
Cooper said that despite the differing views held by these countries, the UK can still engage, cooperate, and strengthen partnerships with them while having full dialogue and communication on areas of disagreement.
The UK Foreign Office's press release released on the 6th repeatedly referred to China and India as "major powers," emphasizing their importance and influence.
Cooper also emphasized that the UK cannot isolate itself from global issues and discussions of global importance and must not allow "cancel culture" in its foreign policy.
Cooper stated that the UK must talk to "key interlocutors" to advance its national interests. Robust and clearly directed engagement on the world stage is the best way to promote UK economic growth and security.
"Cancel culture" refers to using public opinion pressure to launch collective boycotts or "de-platforming" against specific individuals or entities. The UK official's mention of "cancel culture" in information related to China can be seen as a response to "China hawks."
Cooper visited China from the 1st to the 3rd, with talks beginning on the 2nd. The UK Foreign Office stated that during this time, Cooper met with Chinese Vice President Han Zheng and Foreign Minister Wang Yi. During her visit to India on the 4th, she met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar.
The UK Foreign Office stated that talks in Beijing with Han Zheng and Wang Yi focused on global security and economic stability. As both the UK and China are permanent members of the UN Security Council and major world economies, Cooper discussed with Wang Yi how to "cooperate to promote international stability amid rising geopolitical tensions."
According to UK information, Cooper's talks with the Chinese side focused on the Middle East situation and Ukraine, touching on the impasse in the Strait of Hormuz and Iran's nuclear capabilities.
Cooper urged China to stop providing economic support to Russia for its illegal war and to facilitate an immediate ceasefire.
According to information released by the Chinese side on the 2nd regarding the Cooper-Wang Yi meeting, Wang Yi explained Beijing's positions on issues such as Taiwan and Hong Kong, and Cooper stated that the UK's policy on Taiwan has not changed since the establishment of diplomatic relations and will not change.
However, the UK Foreign Office's statement did not mention Taiwan or the Taiwan Strait, only stating that Cooper also discussed with Wang Yi "a range of other foreign and security policy issues," including the conflict situation in Sudan and the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), both located in Africa.
The UK Foreign Office stated that after concluding her Beijing schedule, Cooper met with senior representatives from Chinese businesses, investors, and the tech sector in Shenzhen on the 3rd to promote the UK's competitive and open investment environment. Cooper witnessed progress in AI and robotics in China and urged increased cooperation on AI safety and related standard-setting.
According to public information, during her stay in Shenzhen, Cooper also held a bilateral meeting with Jin Lei, Secretary of the Shenzhen Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China.
Cooper visited New Delhi, the capital of India, on the 4th. Bilateral talks covered maritime security, supply chain security, and economic development, and touched on the situation in the Strait of Hormuz.
During her one-day visit to India, Cooper also met with Indian Minister of Coal and Mines G. Kishan Reddy, focusing on cooperation to ensure the resilience and diversification of critical mineral supply chains. The two sides jointly launched the UK-India Global Supply Chain Observatory (GSCO) for Critical Minerals.
The UK Foreign Office stated that the GSCO is a flagship project of the UK-India Technology Security Initiative. It will use advanced AI tools and satellite systems to provide real-time information on the global flow of critical minerals and detect vulnerabilities in global critical mineral supply chains. (Editor: Hong Peiying) 1150607
Unlike the Chinese side, the UK's statement did not mention Taiwan.
Cooper stated that the UK is strengthening its economic and security partnerships with India and China, including maritime security and AI safety, with much work underway, "because they are some of the most important major powers in the world, and the UK needs to engage with major powers."
Cooper said that despite the differing views held by these countries, the UK can still engage, cooperate, and strengthen partnerships with them while having full dialogue and communication on areas of disagreement.
The UK Foreign Office's press release released on the 6th repeatedly referred to China and India as "major powers," emphasizing their importance and influence.
Cooper also emphasized that the UK cannot isolate itself from global issues and discussions of global importance and must not allow "cancel culture" in its foreign policy.
Cooper stated that the UK must talk to "key interlocutors" to advance its national interests. Robust and clearly directed engagement on the world stage is the best way to promote UK economic growth and security.
"Cancel culture" refers to using public opinion pressure to launch collective boycotts or "de-platforming" against specific individuals or entities. The UK official's mention of "cancel culture" in information related to China can be seen as a response to "China hawks."
Cooper visited China from the 1st to the 3rd, with talks beginning on the 2nd. The UK Foreign Office stated that during this time, Cooper met with Chinese Vice President Han Zheng and Foreign Minister Wang Yi. During her visit to India on the 4th, she met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar.
The UK Foreign Office stated that talks in Beijing with Han Zheng and Wang Yi focused on global security and economic stability. As both the UK and China are permanent members of the UN Security Council and major world economies, Cooper discussed with Wang Yi how to "cooperate to promote international stability amid rising geopolitical tensions."
According to UK information, Cooper's talks with the Chinese side focused on the Middle East situation and Ukraine, touching on the impasse in the Strait of Hormuz and Iran's nuclear capabilities.
Cooper urged China to stop providing economic support to Russia for its illegal war and to facilitate an immediate ceasefire.
According to information released by the Chinese side on the 2nd regarding the Cooper-Wang Yi meeting, Wang Yi explained Beijing's positions on issues such as Taiwan and Hong Kong, and Cooper stated that the UK's policy on Taiwan has not changed since the establishment of diplomatic relations and will not change.
However, the UK Foreign Office's statement did not mention Taiwan or the Taiwan Strait, only stating that Cooper also discussed with Wang Yi "a range of other foreign and security policy issues," including the conflict situation in Sudan and the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), both located in Africa.
The UK Foreign Office stated that after concluding her Beijing schedule, Cooper met with senior representatives from Chinese businesses, investors, and the tech sector in Shenzhen on the 3rd to promote the UK's competitive and open investment environment. Cooper witnessed progress in AI and robotics in China and urged increased cooperation on AI safety and related standard-setting.
According to public information, during her stay in Shenzhen, Cooper also held a bilateral meeting with Jin Lei, Secretary of the Shenzhen Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China.
Cooper visited New Delhi, the capital of India, on the 4th. Bilateral talks covered maritime security, supply chain security, and economic development, and touched on the situation in the Strait of Hormuz.
During her one-day visit to India, Cooper also met with Indian Minister of Coal and Mines G. Kishan Reddy, focusing on cooperation to ensure the resilience and diversification of critical mineral supply chains. The two sides jointly launched the UK-India Global Supply Chain Observatory (GSCO) for Critical Minerals.
The UK Foreign Office stated that the GSCO is a flagship project of the UK-India Technology Security Initiative. It will use advanced AI tools and satellite systems to provide real-time information on the global flow of critical minerals and detect vulnerabilities in global critical mineral supply chains. (Editor: Hong Peiying) 1150607
FAQ
What was the main purpose of UK Foreign Secretary Cooper's visit to China?
To strengthen UK-China economic and security partnerships, discussing global security, economic stability, and AI safety.
What is the UK-India Global Supply Chain Observatory (GSCO) for Critical Minerals?
GSCO uses AI and satellite systems to monitor global critical mineral flows in real-time and detect supply chain vulnerabilities.
Why did the UK Foreign Office not mention Taiwan in its statement?
The UK statement omitted Taiwan, contrasting with China's readout, possibly to avoid direct confrontation on the Taiwan issue.