London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Aug 22, 2025

Lord Mayor of London to lead City’s first post-COVID trip to China

Lord Mayor of London to lead City’s first post-COVID trip to China

Nicholas Lyons, the Lord Mayor, and City of London Corporation policy chair Chris Hayward will travel to China this month for the first trip of its kind since 2019.
The Lord Mayor of London is to lead the first City delegation to China since the Covid pandemic, even as tensions remain in Westminster about Britain’s relations with the world’s second-largest economy.

Sky News has learnt that Nicholas Lyons, the current occupant of the role, and Chris Hayward, the City of London Corporation's policy chairman, will travel to Beijing and other major cities later this month for talks with officials and businesses.

Sources said that discussions would focus on key City strengths such as climate change financing.

The trip - the first of its kind since 2019 - will come amid stuttering trading ties between the UK and China after a period in which the two governments' relationship has cooled considerably.

Beijing's stance on Russia's war against Ukraine and growing concerns that China is preparing to invade Taiwan have fuelled international tensions during the past year.

A City of London Corporation spokesperson said: "The City Corporation engages with all key international markets including China. This visit will be crucial in driving forward our climate action goals and supporting the global economy with the transition to net-zero. As the world's largest producer of carbon emissions any discussion on climate change must include China."

In recent days, Lord Johnson, the investment minister, has been criticised by Conservative MPs over a visit to Hong Kong during which he was due to discuss fintech and other trade-related issues with city officials.

Iain Duncan Smith, the former Tory leader and long-time China hawk, called Rishi Sunak's decision to send Lord Johnson to the former British colony "shameful".

An annual forum called the UK-China Economic and Financial Dialogue has failed to take place in recent years, partly because of the pandemic but also owing to frostier relations between the countries.

City executives have expressed hope that it could be reinstated this year, although any prospective arrangements have not been made public.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Ukraine Declares De Facto War on Hungary and Slovakia with Terror Drone Strikes on Their Gas Lifeline
Animated K-pop Musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Original Animated Film
New York Appeals Court Voids Nearly $500 Million Civil Fraud Penalty Against Trump While Upholding Fraud Liability
Elon Musk tweeted, “Europe is dying”
Far-Right Activist Convicted of Incitement Changes Gender and Demands: "Send Me to a Women’s Prison" | The Storm in Germany
Hungary Criticizes Ukraine: "Violating Our Sovereignty"
Will this be the first country to return to negative interest rates?
Child-free hotels spark controversy
North Korea is where this 95-year-old wants to die. South Korea won’t let him go. Is this our ally or a human rights enemy?
Hong Kong Launches Regulatory Regime and Trials for HKD-Backed Stablecoins
China rehearses September 3 Victory Day parade as imagery points to ‘loyal wingman’ FH-97 family presence
Trump Called Viktor Orbán: "Why Are You Using the Veto"
Horror in the Skies: Plane Engine Exploded, Passengers Sent Farewell Messages
MSNBC Rebrands as MS NOW Amid Comcast’s Cable Spin-Off
AI in Policing: Draft One Helps Speed Up Reports but Raises Legal and Ethical Concerns
Shame in Norway: Crown Princess’s Son Accused of Four Rapes
Apple Begins Simultaneous iPhone 17 Production in India and China
A Robot to Give Birth: The Chinese Announcement That Shakes the World
Finnish MP Dies by Suicide in Parliament Building
Outrage in the Tennis World After Jannik Sinner’s Withdrawal Storm
William and Kate Are Moving House – and the New Neighbors Were Evicted
Class Action Lawsuit Against Volkswagen: Steering Wheel Switches Cause Accidents
Taylor Swift on the Way to the Super Bowl? All the Clues Stirring Up Fans
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Apple Expands Social Media Presence in China With RedNote Account Ahead of iPhone 17 Launch
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Cambridge Dictionary Adds 'Skibidi,' 'Delulu,' and 'Tradwife' Amid Surge of Online Slang
Bill Barr Testifies No Evidence Implicated Trump in Epstein Case; DOJ Set to Release Records
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
The CEO Who Replaced 80% of Employees for the AI Revolution: "I Would Do It Again"
Emails Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Character.ai Bets on Future of AI Companionship
China Ramps Up Tax Crackdown on Overseas Investments
Japanese Office Furniture Maker Expands into Bomb Shelter Market
Intel Shares Surge on Possible U.S. Government Investment
Hurricane Erin Threatens U.S. East Coast with Dangerous Surf
EU Blocks Trade Statement Over Digital Rule Dispute
EU Sends Record Aid as Spain Battles Wildfires
JPMorgan Plans New Canary Wharf Tower
Zelenskyy and his allies say they will press Trump on security guarantees
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Escalating Clashes in Serbia as Anti-Government Protests Spread Nationwide
The Drought in Britain and the Strange Request from the Government to Delete Old Emails
Category 5 Hurricane in the Caribbean: 'Catastrophic Storm' with Winds of 255 km/h
"No, Thanks": The Mathematical Genius Who Turned Down 1.5 Billion Dollars from Zuckerberg
The surprising hero, the ugly incident, and the criticism despite victory: "Liverpool’s defense exposed in full"
Digital Humans Move Beyond Sci-Fi: From Virtual DJs to AI Customer Agents
YouTube will start using AI to guess your age. If it’s wrong, you’ll have to prove it
Jellyfish Swarm Triggers Shutdown at Gravelines Nuclear Power Station in Northern France
×