This photo taken from the official website of the Chinese Embassy in the United Kingdom shows the building of the embassy in London.

The Chinese Embassy in the United Kingdom on Saturday called on the world to look at China and its development in an objective and rational manner and support the sound and steady development of China-UK relationship.

A spokesperson for the embassy made the remarks in response to a report in The Times newspaper that Beijing had raised its diplomatic presence in Britain by nearly a quarter in the past 10 years in a bid to boost its political influence.

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Some British politicians are twisting facts in order to undermine bilateral ties with Beijing, the spokesperson said.

Some politicians and institutions deliberately twist and smear the normal exchange and cooperation between the two countries or even clamor for the so-called ‘new Cold War’ against China. 

Spokesperson, Chinese embassy in the UK

“Some politicians and institutions deliberately twist and smear the normal exchange and cooperation between the two countries or even clamor for the so-called ‘new Cold War’ against China,” the spokesperson said in a statement posted on the embassy’s official website.

Chinese diplomats in Britain are “serving as a bridge” between the two countries and promote mutually beneficial cooperation, the spokesperson said. They deserve a fair assessment “rather than distortion and accusation”.

The spokesperson said there had been sound development in China-UK relations over the past decade, during which trade between the two countries had doubled, Chinese investment in the UK had risen by 20 times, and Chinese students in the UK had increased from 100,000 to 220,000. As the bilateral relations grow, the workload of the Chinese embassy has increased accordingly and so has the number of staff in the embassy. 

“This is the reflection of the booming relationship. It is reasonable and there is nothing wrong about it,” the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson said a sound and stable China-UK relationship is not only in the fundamental interests of the two peoples but also conducive to world peace and prosperity. 

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“We hope the public could look at China and its development in an objective and rational light, take a comprehensive and pragmatic perspective on China-UK cooperation and support the sound and steady development of China-UK relationship,” the spokesperson said.

Responding to the charge that Chinese diplomats are displaying the so-called “wolf warrior” diplomacy during the coronavirus pandemic, the spokesperson said Chinese diplomats had a duty to tell the real story “in the face of misinterpretations, misunderstandings and even deliberate slanders”.

“This righteous action of defending the honor and dignity of China and safeguarding the hard-won China-UK relationship brooks no slander,” the spokesperson said.