British foreign minister holds firm on cybersecurity issues during diplomatic mission to China

By Aysu Bicer

LONDON (AA) - British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly "was clear about the UK’s position on China’s malign cyber activity" during his visit to China, according to a statement Wednesday by the Foreign Office.

Cleverly embarked on a significant diplomatic mission to Beijing on Wednesday where he engaged in bilateral meetings with prominent government figures.

Cleverly met Chinese Vice President Han Zheng for a second time and had a third meeting with Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

One of the central points of discussion was the UK's stance on China's cyber activities.

During in-depth conversations regarding Hong Kong, he highlighted the detrimental effect of the Beijing-imposed National Security Law on human rights and freedoms, which subsequently affects China's international standing.

Cleverly also "made clear the UK's strength of feeling about the mass incarceration of the Uyghur people in Xinjiang" and he demanded that China immediately lift sanctions on UK politicians.

He also brought the case of the arrest of British citizen Jimmy Lai in a meeting with the vice president.

The Foreign Secretary stressed the international community's interest in maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and urged the immediate removal of sanctions against UK parliamentary colleagues.

Ties between the two countries touched a low ebb under former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson after his government restricted Chinese investment because of national security concerns and expressed worry about the situation in Hong Kong.

Cleverly's visit, the first-ever of a British foreign secretary since the 2018 trip of his predecessor, Jeremy Hunt, is part of London's efforts to ease years-long tensions between the two countries concerning security and human rights issues.