UK foreign secretary pledges ‘consistency’ in relations with China | U.S. & World [Video]

By Casey Hall

SHANGHAI (Reuters) – British Foreign Secretary David Lammy said on Saturday that businesses wanted “stability and clarity” in trade with China, as London seeks to reset relations with Beijing under the new Labour government.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said following a meeting with Lammy on Friday that the bilateral ties “now stand at a new starting point,” adding that “competition among major powers should not be the backdrop of this era.”

Lammy is in Shanghai as part of a two-day China trip that started with a visit to Beijing. In Shanghai, Lammy is meeting with British business leaders to discuss trade links with China.

Britain has made major shifts in its approach towards China over the past decade, moving from saying it wanted to be China’s greatest supporter in Europe to being one of its fiercest critics, and now trying to improve relations.

“I’ve been speaking to British industry …