The Ministry of Defence has confirmed that the Chief of the Defence Staff’s recent meeting with Chinese military leaders was approved by the UK Government, but did not include any discussion of the UK base in the Chagos Islands.
Responding to questions from Conservative MP Mark Francois, Defence Minister Luke Pollard said: “The Chief of the Defence Staff’s meeting was arranged between the UK’s Ministry of Defence and China’s Office for International Military Cooperation of the Central Military Commission. It was authorised by His Majesty’s Government.”
During the visit, CDS met with General Liu Zhenli, Chief of Staff of the Joint Staff Department of the People’s Liberation Army. The two men “discussed a range of security issues and agreed that in an unstable world we must play our part as responsible nations with global interests.”
The answers confirm the UK’s intention to maintain senior-level defence engagement with Beijing, even as geopolitical tensions continue across the Indo-Pacific and beyond.
Admiral Sir Tony Radakin’s trip marked the first official visit by the UK’s Chief of the Defence Staff to China in a decade. His discussions in Beijing focused on the importance of military-to-military dialogue amid a volatile global environment, with an emphasis on mutual responsibility and maintaining communication.
The visit occurred against the backdrop of heightened tensions between China and the United States, following newly announced tariffs by President Trump. Defence Secretary John Healey later stressed that Radakin had been firm in emphasising the importance of peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific, amid concerns over the use of military force to achieve political aims.
