China and Britain must seek common ground while shelving differences Chinse President Xi Jinping told British Prime Minister Theresa on the side-lines of the G20 summit in Hamburg.
Following a meeting between Mr Xi Jinping and the British Prime Minister on Friday, China’s foreign ministry said discussions had been held on “consolidating strategic mutual trust,” adding that “both sides should uphold the principle of mutual respect and equality and respect each other’s core interests and major concerns. Both sides must seek common ground while shelving differences.”
Last month China said that a joint declaration with Britain over Hong Kong, which set guidelines to how the city would be ruled after its return to China in 1996 was a historical document that no longer had any practical significance, reports Reuters.
Britain responded by saying that the declaration remained in force and was a legally valid treaty which should be upheld.
On Wednesday British Foreign Office, after a meeting between the British Minister of State for Asia and the Pacific Mark Field and the Chinese Ambassador in London, said,
“This declaration registered with the UN, remains in force until July 2047. As a consequence, the minister did not accept the Chinese government’s position that this was purely a historical document.”
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