Jan 12, 2011 10:46 GMT Labour Party: , Yvette Cooper & meet the Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang

Ed Miliband MP, Leader of the Labour Party, met with Vice Premier Li Keqiang in today and welcomed him to the UK. In warm and constructive discussions the importance of the G20 and multilateral efforts to support growth in the international economy, how to promote a Green economy and Human Rights were high on the agenda.

Ed Miliband was joined by Yvette Cooper MP, Shadow Foreign Secretary and John Denham MP, Shadow Business Secretary, also attending were Gao Hucheng, China’s vice-minister of commerce and international trade representative, Fu Yin, vice minister of foreign affairs, Yi Gang, vice governor of the People’s Bank of China and Liu Xiaoming, the Chinese Ambassador to the UK.

Yvette Cooper MP, Labour's Shadow Foreign Secretary, said:

“It was a great pleasure to meet with Vice Premier Li today and to have the opportunity to establish the importance of multilateral efforts to support growth in the international economy, his view that we are all ‘passengers on the same boat’ and agreement on the importance of the G20 to prevent protectionism and support growth were welcomed by both sides.

“It is important that as part of the honest debate we have with China through the UK-China strategic dialogue that progress on human rights and democracy is consistently pursued and there was agreement that the ongoing Human rights dialogue between our countries would continue. Vice Premier Li also reiterated his determination to seek a stable and non-nuclear Korean peninsula and his absolute commitment to tackle climate change and we will work together on these goals.”