One of the key trade dialogues between the UK and China was the Joint Economic and Trade Commission (JETCO). That was meant to facilitate bilateral trade and investment between the two countries but was put on ice by the last UK government following China's actions on Hong Kong back in 2022.
It is being reported now that the incumbent UK government is "open" to explore the trade dialogue again "where cooperation is possible with China". That according to business and trade secretary, Jonathan Reynolds, at least. But he does say that they will have to engage the conversation on their own terms. Adding that:
“Obviously, what I want to know is, if JETCO were to be reinstated, would it be a substantive way to resolve some of these (ongoing trade) issues?”
The full piece can be found here. All of this is just word on the street for now but it's a start perhaps. So, we'll have to see how substantial any of this will be in the months ahead.
