UK foreign secretary accidentally referred to his Chinese wife as Japanese on his first trip to China

Jeremy Hunt and his wife Lucia attend a garden party at Buckingham Palace on May 19, 2016 in London, England.

Jonathan Brady - WPA Pool/Getty Images

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British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt made an awkward faux pas during his first trip to China when he accidentally referred to his wife Lucia Guo, who is Chinese, as Japanese.

During his first official visit to China since taking over after Boris Johnson resigned from government earlier this month, Hunt sought to earn the favor of his Chinese counterparts by talking about his Chinese-born wife.

"My wife is Japanese," he said to a room full of officials, before quickly acknowledging his mistake. "My wife is Chinese. That's a terrible mistake to make," he said.

"My wife is Chinese and my children are half-Chinese and so we have Chinese grandparents who live in Xian and strong family connections in China," he added.

China and Japan have a long history of rivalry, though relations between the Asian neighbors have improved.

Hunt, who formerly served as health secretary, married his wife in 2009 and has three children. He is currently in China seeking stronger ties between Britain and China ahead of Britain's impending exit from the EU next year.

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