Update: China's top diplomat meets British PM's national security adviser
BEIJING, March 23 (Xinhua) -- China's top diplomat Wang Yi met with Jonathan Powell, British prime minister's national security adviser, in Beijing on Monday, and the two sides exchanged views on the situation in Iran, the Ukraine crisis and other issues.
Wang, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, introduced China's objective and impartial position, stating that the spillover effects of the situation in Iran have expanded and the prolonged war will only bring more damage and serious aftereffects.
What all parties should do now is not to add fuel to the fire but to address the root cause and jointly bring the issue back to the track of political settlement through dialogue and negotiation, Wang added.
Noting that British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's successful and historic visit to China in January was positively received in both countries and by international community, Wang said this fully demonstrates that developing a long-term, stable comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Britain is an inevitable trend and aligns with the aspirations of the people.
It also shows that as long as both sides move toward each other and engage in constructive communication, they can properly address challenges and issues to achieve mutual benefit and win-win results, Wang added.
Both sides should implement the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, carry out exchanges at all levels, deepen cooperation in various fields, effectively manage differences, and promote the consistent and forward development of China-Britain relations, Wang said.
For his part, Powell said that the British side is willing to work with China to implement the outcomes of Prime Minister Starmer's visit to China, enhance communication and cooperation, and jointly develop a long-term and consistent comprehensive strategic partnership. ■