Cleverly and Sunak Defend Engaging with China

Backlash comes after first visit to Beijing by a UK foreign secretary in five years

British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly and Chinese Vice President Han Zheng attend a meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Aug. 30, 2023. Florence Lo/Pool/Reuters

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Foreign Secretary James Cleverly have defended the government’s engagement with Beijing during the latter’s China trip on Wednesday.

The first ministerial visit to China since 2018 has been under criticisms of China hawks and human rights advocates, with former Conservative Party leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith comparing the trip to the appeasement of Nazi Germany.