LONDON - David Lammy, shadow foreign secretary of the UK's Labour Party, said on Monday that the United Kingdom must consistently approach and engage with a country as important as China if Labour is elected on July 4.

At a briefing organized by the Foreign Press Association in London, Lammy told Xinhua reporter that Labour outlined "three Cs (Cooperate, Compete, and Challenge)" in its manifesto published last month.

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"What sets Labour apart from the current government's policy towards China is its commitment to a consistent approach, despite areas where the UK must compete and face challenges, particularly related to national security," said Lammy.

Lammy also said that Labour would begin an audit of UK-China relations and seek more engagement with China at all levels of government, given the current government's lack of engagement with Chinese officials.