Sir Keir Starmer has confirmed he will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping as he wants a “pragmatic and serious” relationship with Beijing.
The Prime Minister will be the first British leader since Theresa May in 2018 to meet with the Chinese Prime Minister.
They are expected to hold talks on Monday at the G20 Summit in Brazil.
Downing Street said Sir Keir was seeking to build “pragmatic partnerships with other countries, even where our values differ”.
But critics are concerned about the prospect of cosying up to Beijing at a time of heightened geopolitical tension.
China is bolstering its army and navy, warning it could invade Taiwan, and is supporting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine by effectively keeping Vladimir Putin’s economy afloat.
Sir Keir said: “I plan to have a bilateral meeting with President Xi at the G20.
“I think that’s important. We are both global players, global powers, both permanent members of the Security Council and of the G20.
“The Chinese economy is clearly the largest in the world right now. He is one of our biggest trading partners, and I will have serious and pragmatic discussions with the President when I meet with him.
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Asked if he wants better diplomatic relations than under previous regimes, Sir Keir said: “Given the size of the economy, it is very important that we have a pragmatic and serious relationship and that’s what I intend to pursue.”
Asked whether he considered the Chinese prime minister to be to blame for the genocide, the Labor leader added: “I think Rishi Sunak used his last PMQ or the previous PMQ to ask me questions about China, so there’s a total diversity of opinions. ” answers in terms of my position.
“But I think we have a serious commitment and that is what I will continue in my bilateral activities at the G20. »
Discussions will most likely focus on industry and areas of mutual interest, such as climate update and external stability.
No 10 insisted Sir Keir “will be company in wanting to have fair conversations around spaces of disagreement, while we compete and challenge where we must. “
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Chancellor Rachel Reeves is also expected to travel to China in the new year, as the government attempts to revive economic and monetary debate between the two countries.
The price of UK exports to China rose from £20bn in 2016 to £33bn last year, despite the complicated political situation.
As rumors about the assembly emerged over the weekend, former Conservative leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith told the Daily Express: “President Xi has no respect for the UK and is destroying the entire rules-based order in the world, from human rights to human rights”. rights. In the WTO [World Trade Organization], China ignores what they are told.
“President Trump believes that China poses a risk to Western values and I agree with him. I like that.
“China has 230 times the shipbuilding capacity of America now. Only one shipyard in China can outbuild all of the United States.
“They are strengthening their military and in terms of trade, many intermediary companies are leaving China and there is a reason for that.
“China is stealing their intellectual property, destroying it and ignoring WTO rules. »
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