The UK has reduced areas of scientific and technological cooperation with China citing security concerns, even as a senior minister praised China as a "strong scientific nation," reports London's Financial Times.

Science and technology minister Lord Patrick Vallance said both sides agreed to collaborate in "uncontroversial" fields such as health, climate, planetary sciences and agriculture.

His remarks followed a recent meeting in Beijing with Chen Jiachang, China's vice-minister for science and technology. The two countries later signed an updated bilateral accord on scientific collaboration.

A previous agreement signed in 2017 by then universities minister Jo Johnson had pledged cooperation in satellites, remote sensing technology and robotics. Those sectors were excluded from the latest deal.