MK socks vice minister of commerce and deputy China international trade representative, meets with Douglas Alexander, UK's minister for trade policy and economic security, who is in China to attend the 5th China International Consumer Products Expo, on April 11, 2025. Photo: China's Ministry of Commerce" src="https://www.globaltimes.cn/Portals/0/attachment/2025/2025-04-10/6a278bfc-7dc1-4d04-82c8-712958d08753.jpeg" />

Ling Ji, vice minister of commerce and deputy China international trade representative, meets with Douglas Alexander, UK's minister for trade policy and economic security, who is in China to attend the 5th China International Consumer Products Expo, on April 11, 2025. Photo: China's Ministry of Commerce

Ling Ji, vice minister of commerce and deputy China international trade representative, met with Douglas Alexander, UK's minister for trade policy and economic security, who is in China to attend the 5th China International Consumer Products Expo. The two sides exchanged views on deepening China-UK economic and trade cooperation and responding to the US' imposition of so-called "reciprocal tariffs," China's Ministry of Commerce said on Friday.

Both agreed to jointly implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of both countries, actively prepare for the 14th UK-China Joint Economic and Trade Commission, and strengthen cooperation in trade investment and supply chains, the ministry said in a statement.

Ling stated that the US imposition of so-called "reciprocal tariffs" is a serious departure from the multilateral trading system. China's countermeasures against the US is a necessary response to safeguard its own interests. China is willing to work with the UK to support the multilateral trading system and inject more certainty and stability into the world economy.

Alexander said that the UK places great importance on cooperation with China and values the opportunities presented by the Chinese market. The UK is willing to work with China to uphold free trade and market openness, strengthen multilateral cooperation, and jointly address current challenges. The UK will continue to deepen economic and trade cooperation with China and promote the long-term and stable development of bilateral economic and trade relations, according to the statement. 

The 5th China International Consumer Products Expo is scheduled to be held in South China's Hainan Province from April 13 to 18. Alexander is also due to visit Hainan and Hong Kong, the Guardian reported on Friday.

Meanwhile, the UK has also sent its military chief to China for the first visit in 10 years this week. 

General Liu Zhenli, member of China's Central Military Commission (CMC) and Chief of Staff of the CMC Joint Staff Department, held talks with the Admiral Tony Radakin, Chief of the Defense Staff of the UK in Beijing, on Wednesday, the Chinese Defense Ministry said in a statement on that day. 

The two sides conducted in-depth exchanges on China-UK relations and military-to-military relations, international and regional situations and issues of common concern, and had communication on strengthening exchanges and cooperation between the two militaries, the defense ministry said. 

The last time a Chief of the Defence Staff visited China was in 2015, BBC reported. 

The broadcaster cited a post on X written by Radakin, which said "We agreed that in an unstable world we must play our part as responsible nations with global interests, and we reflected on the importance of military-to-military communications."

Chinese experts reached by the Global Time on Friday said that the UK's dispatch of two senior officials to China demonstrated Britain's desire to consolidate bilateral ties under the shadow of US' reckless tariff policies.

At a time when the Trump administration launched a tariff and trade war, the UK, a country heavily reliant on overseas trade, hopes for further development on Chinese investment and bilateral trade, Gao Jian, director of the Center for British Studies at Shanghai International Studies University, told the Global Times.

"China and the UK enjoy vast space for economic and trade cooperation and are highly complementary to each other. The two sides share a common principled position on promoting free trade, and there will certainly be room for further cooperation in the future," Gao said. 

According to Gao, after the Starmer government came to power, there have been positive adjustments to its diplomatic policy toward China, which can be seen as a pragmatic approach. 

In November of last year, the leaders of China and the UK met during the G20 Leaders' Summit. UK chancellor Rachel Reeves and foreign secretary David Lammy have visited China in January 2025 and October 2024 respectively.

Zhuo Hua, an expert on international issues at the School of International Relations of Beijing Foreign Studies University, viewed Radakin's visit to China as not only the result of the improvement of China-UK relations, but also a signal of the further sound development of China-UK relations.

In fact, this is not the first "meeting" between Liu and Radakin. In May 2024, Liu had a video call with Radakin to discuss strengthening communication and cooperation between the two militaries. On September 25, the militaries of China and the UK held defense strategy consultation in China, where the two sides held discussions over developing bilateral defense relations, and conducted in-depth exchanges of views on international and regional security issues of common concern, which promoted mutual understanding and trust.

However, Gao noted that the British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has yet to visit China, which is probably due to the reason that Starmer is carefully considering Washington's stance. 

The two British officials' China visits also came ahead as the Royal Navy's Prince of Wales aircraft carrier prepares to set sail in a carrier strike group in several weeks' time on an eight-month voyage to the Mediterranean and Indo-Pacific, Financial Times reported on Thursday. 

Twelve other nations, including Norway, Canada and Spain, are supporting the UK-led multinational deployment, which the British defense ministry claimed highlighted "the strength of the UK's leadership in seeking to uphold stability in the Indo-Pacific," according to the report. 

"The US maintains its dominant role in shaping Europe's security architecture. To a significant degree, Europe lacks full agency over its own destiny — trapped in a strategic dilemma where challenging American leadership risks destabilizing the very security order it depends on," Gao said. 

The expert said that the UK should carefully navigate its own future under a US administration that is highly unpredictable. Complete alignment with Washington would serve little strategic purpose, and Britain's fundamental interest lies in maintaining strategic autonomy - preserving its crucial position in the international economic system.