Photo: CGTN

Britain’s Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken held a joint news conference at Downing Street following their bilateral meetings in London Monday, ahead of the week of G7 foreign ministers meetings.

The Group of Seven western democracies are seeking to court international allies to counter challenges from China and Russia without holding Beijing down, and while pursuing more stable ties with the Kremlin, the two diplomats said Monday.

“It is not our purpose to try to contain China or to hold China down,” Blinken told reporters Monday.

Beijing said confrontation against China won’t serve the U.S. well, and called on Washington to be constructive on urgent global issues, including containing the pandemic, recovering the economy and fighting climate change.

Britain hosts the first face-to-face G7 foreign ministers meetings in nearly two years, which will also see discussions about climate change and combating the spread of COVID-19.