China’s foreign ministry said on Friday that Beijing would welcome a visit by Britain’s finance minister Philip Hammond, a day after the minister had said talk of deploying a British warship in the Pacific had complicated bilateral relations.

“China sets great store on Sino-Britain ties, and hopes Britain can earnestly respect China’s core interests and concerns, and make efforts for promoting the healthy and stable development of relations,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said a daily news briefing.

“As for the issue of Chancellor Hammond visiting China, we have said that we welcome him to visit,” Geng added.