Ken Clarke 'to visit Beijing on trade mission'
An eleven-month freeze in top-level relations between the UK and China may be coming to an end with Ken Clarke expected to visit Beijing next month.
Mr Clarke, the minister without portfolio, will lead a "trade visit" to China alongside representatives from the UK's health sector, according to a Friday report in the China Daily newspaper.
The ministerial visit, currently scheduled for late April, would be the first since China placed an indefinite freeze on high-level contact last May after a meeting between David Cameron and the Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama.
The suspension of minister-level contact saw meetings cancelled or downgraded by the Chinese. The Trade and Investment minister, Lord Green and Jeremy Browne, the Foreign Office minister, were among those snubbed.
A spokesperson for the British embassy in Beijing said they could not confirm if Mr Clarke would meet with any Chinese ministers during his trip.
Mr Clarke's visit follows reports of a cabinet split over the UK's China policy, with William Hague, the Foreign Secretary, and Nick Clegg, the Deputy Prime Minister, reputedly at loggerheads with David Cameron and George Osborne, the Chancellor.
Mr Cameron and Mr Osborne are believed to be keen not jeopardise economic relations by offending Beijing. But Mr Clegg and Mr Hague – who has made just one trip to China since becoming Foreign Secretary – are thought to favour taking a tougher stance on issues such as human rights and Tibet.
Last month China's state-run Global Times newspaper warned Britain would face severe diplomatic and economic consequences if Mr Hague and Mr Clegg continued their "posturing" towards China.
"If Britain and China start competing over who can be tougher against the other, can Britain be the winner?" the newspaper asked.
The Daily Telegraph understands that Mr Clarke's trip, which is not 100 per cent confirmed, would likely include stops in Beijing and the eastern province of Zhejiang.
During the trip Mr Clarke will launch "Healthcare UK", a Beijing-based shop-window for British health providers looking to attract Chinese customers.
"Healthcare UK is a government agency which is going to support private British businesses who specialise in the management and commission of health services, and people who can build and operate hospitals and clinics," Mr Clarke told the China Daily newspaper.
The British embassy spokesperson said: "Cabinet minister Ken Clarke announced in October that one of his top priorities is to boost trade links with China on health care. The UK has significant expertise to offer and we see real potential for the UK and China to collaborate."
Writing in The Daily Telegraph last month, China's former ambassador to Britain, Ma Zhengang, said: "We want more 'positive energy' from China-UK cooperation."
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