UK Foreign Secretary meets US, China counterparts; Middle East, Ukraine top agenda

British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband held separate meetings with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the sidelines of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting in the Philippines. The situations in the Middle East and Ukraine were common concerns during both discussions.

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The UK government will be committed to fostering a robust, long-term, and critically important alliance relationship with the United States.

Miliband, appointed by new Prime Minister Andy Burnham, made the Philippines his first overseas visit since taking office. The ASEAN meetings, centered around the foreign ministers' conference on July 23, also included a session where Miliband signed the UK's second five-year action plan with ASEAN, covering 2027-2031. The UK became an ASEAN dialogue partner in August 2021 and signed its first action plan in 2022. The new plan aims to deepen cooperation in political, security, economic, and global issue areas beneficial to both the UK and ASEAN.

During his meeting with Rubio, Miliband stressed the UK government's commitment to a strong, long-term, and vital alliance with the United States, built on shared values, cultural ties, and cooperation in security, trade, and technology. Prime Minister Burnham had previously spoken with U.S. President Donald Trump about strengthening collective security. Miliband highlighted security as a top priority for Burnham and the UK government. Both leaders also addressed the Middle East and Ukraine, with Miliband reiterating the UK's unwavering support for Ukraine's defense against Russian aggression. Rubio extended an invitation to Miliband to visit Washington in the coming weeks.

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Security is a top priority for Burnham and the UK government.

Details of the meeting between Miliband and Wang Yi were not released by the British Foreign Ministry. However, Miliband stated on social media that the UK-China relationship is significant across security, economic, and climate issues. He expressed pleasure in discussing Ukraine and the Middle East with Wang Yi. Miliband reaffirmed the Labour government's principles for handling relations with China: a consistent, long-term, and "strategically significant" approach grounded in British and global interests. Notably, public statements from the UK did not mention discussions on Taiwan, while China's Foreign Ministry reported that Miliband affirmed the UK's long-standing policy on Taiwan, which remains unchanged since diplomatic relations were established.

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The UK will continue to stand with Ukraine, supporting its defense against Russian aggression.

China's Foreign Ministry stated that both sides exchanged views on international and regional issues, including the situation in the Middle East and the Persian Gulf, but did not explicitly mention Ukraine. Miliband, previously serving as Energy Secretary, visited China last March to restart UK-China energy dialogues and launch a new bilateral climate dialogue mechanism. He was the first British Energy Secretary to visit China in eight years. The UK is set to assume the G20 presidency in 2027, potentially hosting a summit that could include a meeting between U.S. and Chinese leaders.

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The UK-China relationship is significant, whether in the fields of security, economy, or climate issues.