Chinese President Xi Jinping has called on the UK to protect the legal rights and interests of Chinese investors during his first phone call with UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, the Chinese leader stated that the two countries’ shared interests outweigh their differences.
Xi Jinping described China and the UK as comprehensive strategic partners and urged both sides to move beyond their differences, strengthen mutual trust, and expand cooperation. He noted that China plans to further open its education, healthcare, and finance sectors as part of its five-year plan for 2026–2030, creating potential for bilateral cooperation. Furthermore, Xi Jinping called for stronger coordination through institutions such as the United Nations, the Group of Twenty, and the World Trade Organization to support multilateralism and open trade.
The UK’s position and investment issues
According to the British government, Prime Minister Andy Burnham told Xi Jinping that he is prepared to discuss areas of concern “frankly and constructively.” During the call, he raised issues including national security, Russia’s war in Ukraine, the situation in Hong Kong, human rights, and consular cases, which are of particular importance.
Xi Jinping‘s call to protect investor rights comes less than two months after the UK government nationalized the loss-making steelmaker British Steel, which was owned by the Chinese conglomerate Jingye Group. Beijing opposed the move, stating that it undermines the confidence of Chinese companies in investing in the country, and vowed to take “strong” measures to protect the interests of its firms.
Source: Bloomberg
