The British armed forces chief visited China for the first time in a decade.
Admiral Sir Tony Radakin discussed “common concerns” with Chinese military leaders in Beijing, his defense ministry said in a short press release.
“We have agreed that in an unstable world, we must play our role as responsible nations with global interests,” wrote Sir Tony on X, “and we have thought about the importance of military communications to military”.
The last time a defense staff chief visited China, it was in 2015. Since he became Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer sought to strengthen ties with the country.
The admiral’s visit coincided with the climbing of an intense trade war between China and the United States after the announcement by President Trump of higher prices.
Defense secretary, John Healey, confirmed Thursday that the trip took place earlier this week.
“It is always good to have a military commitment to military and that is what he establishes,” Healey told journalists in Brussels.
He said that the admiral’s visit had followed the traces of the one recently carried out by the Secretary of Foreign Affairs, David Lammy, who became the Second Foreign Minister to visit China in six years when we went in October of last year.
Healey said that in discussions, the admiral was “very firm in arguments concerning peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific” region “and concerns concerning any use of the aggression or military affirmation to continue political ends”.
Healey did not specifically mention Taiwan, where China has launched major military exercises which were considered a provocation to the island and the wider region.
Beijing considers Taiwan as a province of separation which will ultimately be part of the country and has not excluded the use of force to achieve it.
But many Taiwanese see themselves as part of a separate nation – although most are in favor of maintaining the status quo where Taiwan does not declare the independence of China or unites.
Sir Tony has now joined the defense secretary in Brussels for meetings with Allies on Ukraine.
