By South China Morning Post | Created at 2024-11-14 06:09:54 | Updated at 2024-11-22 14:07:50
1 week ago
A senior official from the United Kingdom is in Hong Kong to meet government officials and the British business community, in a sign the country’s new administration is moving to revitalise bilateral relations after a fraught few years.
Catherine West, the UK’s Minister for the Indo-Pacific, arrived the day before to “discuss areas of cooperation and challenge on areas of contention”, the British consulate in Hong Kong said on Thursday.
“The UK government is committed to a long-term, strategic and pragmatic relationship with China, rooted in UK and global interests,” the consulate said in their announcement of West’s arrival and details of her two-day “engagement programme”.
“The UK will cooperate where we can, compete where we need to, and challenge where we must.”
West is scheduled to meet Hong Kong Chief Secretary Eric Chan Kwok-ki and Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po today, and later with members of the British Chamber of Commerce.
On Friday, she is scheduled to meet Cui Jianchun, the commissioner of the Chinese foreign ministry’s office in Hong Kong. Afterwards, she will meet “British business leaders in Hong Kong.”
West’s trip is just the latest in a string of high-profile visits between the UK and city officials recently.
