the new head of the British diplomacy in Beijing, Paris and Vienna

The new head of the British diplomacy Jeremy Hunt begins Monday a visit to China, before traveling to France and Austria, for his first major tour abroad to address the subject of Brexit, announced his Ministry.

A Closer Sino-British Relationship. In Beijing, Jeremy Hunt will meet with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, with whom he will discuss North Korea, climate change, but also their trade relations, the Foreign Office said in a statement. Chinese and British have proclaimed in recent years a "golden era" for their relations, which resulted in a 2015 state visit by President Xi Jinping to the United Kingdom, during which he was received with great fanfare by Queen Elizabeth II. British Prime Minister Theresa May herself visited China in early 2018.

"As the UK leaves the EU and becomes more and more outward-looking, we are determined to deepen this. partnership [avec la Chine]"said Jeremy Hunt, quoted in the statement. Since the decision of the British to leave the European Union in the June 2016 referendum, London has multiplied diplomatic contacts to prepare trade agreements that will replace those of Brussels.

Next step, France. After China, Jeremy Hunt will travel to Paris and Vienna for talks there also devoted to Brexit, but also to questions of international security, "as the threat from Russia, the war in Syria and the agreement [sur le nucléaire] Iran According to the ministry,

This is the first overseas trip of this importance for Jeremy Hunt since his appointment in early July at Foreign Affairs. He took over from Boris Johnson, who resigned due to disagreements with Theresa May over his Brexit strategy.

Difficult Negotiations. London and Brussels are expected to reach an agreement by mid-October to organize their divorce, scheduled for late March 2019, and lay the groundwork for their future relationship, but negotiations drag on. On Thursday, EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier called Theresa May's "Checkers Plan" a proposal to maintain close trade ties with the continent after Brexit.