British Foreign Minister David Lammy in Amman (Jordan) on October 9, 2024. ALAA AL SUKHNI / REUTERS David Lammy travels to China for the first time on Friday October 18 in his capacity as British Affairs Minister to meet his counterpart Wang Yi. This visit is an opportunity to reset relations between London and Beijing for the British Labor government, which intends to establish, according to a Downing Street spokesperson, a “pragmatic and long-term” relationship. […] in the interests of the United Kingdom. “We want to question the relationship when it needs to be questioned but also identify where we can cooperate,” insisted this spokesperson on Thursday. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who has made growth his “first priority”, stands out from his conservative predecessors, Boris Johnson, but especially Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak, who had considerably reduced relations with China. Mr. Sunak even regularly described the Asian giant as a “threat” to the United Kingdom. On Saturday, Mr. Lammy will be in Shanghai, where he will meet representatives of the European business community to discuss “our economic links with China and how they can support growth in the United Kingdom”, specifies the Foreign Office. Human rights NGOs are urging David Lammy to broaden the scope of the subjects covered. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and the team of lawyers defending Jimmy Lai, a British citizen and boss of the former opposition press group Next Media, in Hong Kong, are demanding that the minister address his case. Aged 76, he has been imprisoned for four years and risks life in prison in a trial for “endangering national security” whose hearings resume on November 20. RSF, whose representatives were refused access to the trial hearings, calls for the “unconditional and immediate release” of Jimmy Lai. Read also | Article reserved for our subscribers Hong Kong: the legal agony of Jimmy Lai, fervent opponent of Beijing Add to your selections “There is still a chance” “If there is an intention to reset relations with China, Mr. Lammy must use it as leverage to guarantee the release of Jimmy Lai,” said Caoilfhionn Gallagher, lawyer at Doughty Street Chambers, and member of the international team defending Mr. Lai and his son, Sebastien Lai, during a conference of press in London on October 11. “My father is diabetic, he has been in confinement for almost four years and does not receive adequate care. His health has deteriorated, he could die at any time,” worried Sébastien Lai, also present at the conference. He said he had not been able to see his father for four years and was unable to return to Hong Kong, the risk being too great that he would be arrested. He also regretted that David Lammy had not yet taken the time to receive him in person. You have 42.07% of this article left to read. The rest is reserved for subscribers.
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