London seeks to elevate ties with Beijing

UK's foreign secretary's visit an attempt to reset bilateral relations, observers say

When meeting with his British counterpart David Lammy in Beijing on Friday, China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi specially mentioned a documentary titled The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru, saying the China-Britain relationship is rooted in history and now "stands at a new starting point".

The film, which recounts the heroic efforts of Chinese fishermen to rescue and shelter hundreds of British prisoners of war in a sinking Japanese transport ship during World War II, once again brought alive shared memories of China and the United Kingdom fighting together against fascism when it was screened to the public in September.

Lammy, the first British cabinet minister to visit China since the Labour government took office in July — the second visit to China by a top UK diplomat in six years — concluded his two-day tour on Saturday.