Keir Starmer to meet Xi Jinping in Beijing to deepen economic ties

Keir Starmer will meet Chinese president Xi Jinping on Thursday in Beijing for a 40-minute meeting at the Great Hall of the People, the prime minister's first visit to China in eight years aimed at deepening economic ties. Starmer told journalists on the flight to Beijing he wanted to bring "stability and clarity" to bilateral relations after years of "inconsistency" under the Tories when ties went from a "golden age to ice age".

The visit comes as China, the world’s second biggest economy, remains an important market: the UK exports £45bn of goods and services a year to China, which is the UK's third largest trading partner. Downing Street said Starmer is "clear-eyed" about the threat China poses to the UK's national security and would have "guardrails" to protect against espionage.

He has said he will raise difficult human rights issues, including the case of Jimmy Lai, with the UK government pressing for Lai's release. The trip has prompted criticism from Tory hawks who have accused China of trying to recruit informants in parliament, harassing Hong Kong pro-democracy activists in the UK and engaging in cyber-attacks.

The prime minister's opponents have also attacked the government over approval for a Chinese mega-embassy near Tower Bridge in London; the Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said she would not visit China "at this time" if she were in charge.

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