China's top diplomat meets British prime minister's national security adviser

BEIJING, Jan. 29 (Xinhua) -- China's top diplomat Wang Yi met with Jonathan Powell, British prime minister's national security adviser, in Beijing on Wednesday.

Wang, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, said that British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's visit to China marks the first official visit by a British prime minister in eight years.

Wang noted that as permanent members of the United Nations (UN) Security Council, China and Britain bear significant responsibilities for world peace and development.

Amid a complex and volatile international landscape, both sides should uphold the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, strengthen dialogue and cooperation, work together to address challenges, and jointly safeguard the international system with the UN at its core, Wang said.

Powell said that China is the world's second-largest economy and a major influential country. The absence of high-level exchanges between Britain and China for many years is not in the interests of the peoples of both countries, he noted.

Britain hopes to take advantage of Prime Minister Starmer's visit to enhance dialogue and cooperation at all levels and in various sectors with China, and to develop a more coherent and comprehensive strategic partnership, he said.

The two sides also exchanged views on international and regional issues of common concern, including the Ukraine crisis.