Britain's new foreign minister begins his first major international trip with a visit to China on Monday, bidding to strengthen trade ties with Beijing ahead of Brexit next year.

"The UK and China are both major powers with a global perspective", said foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt in a statement issued ahead of the visit.

"As the UK leaves the EU and becomes ever-more outward-looking, we are committed to deepening this vital partnership for the 21st century."

Following the China summit Hunt is scheduled to travel to Paris and Vienna for further talks with his European counterparts on Brexit.

It was revealed last week that May was despatching ministers to the 27 member states of the EU in a bid to broker back-door agreements after Brussels' chief negotiator Michel Barnier shot down her Brexit plan.

An agreement on Britain's divorce from the trading bloc -- set for 29 March 2019 -- must be forged in principle within at least three months, before a European summit in mid-October.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials said that in China Hunt -- who replaced Boris Johnson after his dramatic resignation over Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit blueprint earlier this month -- will hold "extensive discussions" with Chinese state counsellor and minister of foreign affairs Wang Yi.

Further topics on the table are expected to be "the importance of multilateralism and free trade and ways the UK and China can work together on global challenges such as climate change, development, security and non-proliferation and enforcing UN sanctions on North Korea".

In France and Austria "international security issues such as the threat from Russia, the war in Syria, and the Iran (nuclear) deal," will also be under discussion according to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

UK's Hunt welcomes China's offer of talks on post-Brexit trade deal
Beijing (AFP) July 30, 2018 - British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said Monday he welcomed China's offer of talks on a post-Brexit trade deal as he visited Beijing to try to strengthen ties before next year's divorce from Europe.

Hunt, appointed earlier this month, was in the Chinese capital to meet Foreign Minister Wang Yi and other top officials, on a trip that will also include stops in Paris and Vienna for talks with his European counterparts on Brexit.

"We discussed the offer made by Foreign Minister Wang to open discussion of a possible free-trade deal done between Britain and China, post-Brexit," Hunt said at a joint press conference.

"We welcome this and said that we will explore it."

Britain is assessing its post-Brexit trade options. London is already moving ahead with plans to negotiate a free-trade deal with the United States as soon as it leaves the European Union, International Trade Secretary Liam Fox said last week.

It also was revealed last week that May was sending ministers to the 27 other member states of the EU to try to broker back-door agreements after Brussels' chief negotiator Michel Barnier raised reservations about her Brexit plan.

An agreement in principle on Britain's departure from the European trading bloc -- set for March 29, 2019 -- must be reached before a Europe summit in mid-October.

Hunt said he and Wang had "very constructive" talks in Beijing but neither gave any further details.

Hunt said that during their talks he also raised the issue of Briton Michael Simpson, who was stabbed to death by his estranged Chinese wife in Shanghai late last year, according to British media reports.

Simpson's two young children are in the custody of his wife's family now that their mother has been jailed.

Simpson's British family has been trying to obtain custody of the children but have been stymied by the courts and the wife's relatives, according to the BBC and other reports.

"We also raised consular cases, including that of the Simpson children. Foreign Minister Wang said he would look into that case while also still respecting the independence of China's judicial system," Hunt said.

Hunt was due to meet Premier Li Keqiang later in the day.

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