Lammy urges China to block firms supporting Russia’s war effort

David Lammy has urged China to prevent its companies from supporting Russia’s war effort, the Foreign Office has said after the minister held his first meeting with his Beijing counterpart since Labour entered Government.

The Foreign Secretary is said to have stressed the UK’s “ironclad” commitment to backing Ukraine in bilateral talks with Wang Yi on the sidelines of an ASEAN gathering in Laos on Friday.

“They had a constructive first discussion and the Foreign Secretary outlined this Government’s vision for a long-term, consistent and strategic approach to UK-China relations,” the Foreign Office said.

“He set out that the Government would co-operate where we can, compete where needed and challenge where we must. He made clear the UK would always stand firm in prioritising our national security, as well as supporting human rights.

“The Foreign Secretary welcomed the opportunity to work with a fellow member of the UN Security Council and the world’s second largest economy to combat global challenges like climate change.”

The Foreign Secretary urged China to “prevent its companies supporting Russia’s military industrial complex which poses a material threat to international security and prosperity,” the department said.

Both sides agreed to “work towards building long-term communication channels”.

The meeting comes after it emerged Russian President Vladimir Putin has relied on supplies from China to wage his invasion of Ukraine in the face of Western sanctions.

Nato’s Washington summit earlier this month declared that Beijing had become a “decisive enabler” of the Russian war effort through the supply of components to the defence industry.