UK’s Lammy visits China in bid to reset London-Beijing ties 

BEIJING, Oct 17: British Foreign Secretary David Lammy will visit China this week, Beijing and Downing Street said Thursday, marking the first by a senior UK official since the election of Prime Minister Keir Starmer in July.

China and Britain are seeking to reset ties frayed in recent years by Beijing's security crackdown in Hong Kong and human rights concerns including in its troubled Xinjiang region.

Beijing's foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said that Lammy "will pay an official visit to China from October 18 to 19".Confirming the visit, a Downing Street spokesperson said Lammy will "challenge" China and seek "necessary pragmatic engagement".

The two sides would "have in-depth exchanges on implementing the consensus reached by their leaders" during an August phone call, Mao said at a regular press briefing in Beijing.    —AFP