During a meeting between British Foreign Secretary David Lammy and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Lammy urged Beijing to stop Chinese companies from supporting the Russian military.
On Friday (July 26), Lammy’s office stated that the meeting took place during the 57th ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting held in Laos. This was Lammy’s first meeting with a Chinese counterpart since the Labour Party won the UK general election on July 4.
“The Foreign Secretary emphasized the UK’s steadfast commitment to Ukraine and urged China to prevent its companies from supporting the Russian military-industrial complex, as it poses a substantive threat to international security and prosperity,” the British side said in a statement.
The UK Foreign Office stated that Lammy conveyed the government’s “long-term, consistent strategic posture towards UK-China relations” during the meeting.
He mentioned that the UK government will cooperate to the extent possible, compete where necessary, and challenge where required. The statement added, “He made it clear that Britain will always prioritize national security and support human rights.”
However, the Chinese side’s statement did not mention similar content. Earlier, the Chinese side stated in a post-meeting statement that Wang Yi told Lammy that both countries should establish the correct “policy orientation” and adhere to “openness and cooperation”.
Both sides agreed to “strive to establish long-term communication channels”.
Prior to this meeting, there were reports that Russian President Putin, facing Western sanctions, continued his invasion of Ukraine with the sustained supply of goods from China.
During the NATO summit held earlier this month in Washington, it was stated that Beijing has become a “decisive factor” for Russia by providing components to the Russian defense industry.