Keir Starmer hails 'history-making' trip to China ahead of landmark talks with Xi Jinping
The Prime Minister has been accused of going “cap in hand to China” as the Liberal Democrats claimed his visit is to “ask for a trade deal on the promise of a super-embassy”
Sir Keir Starmer told British business leaders that they are "making history" as they touched down in China for the first visit by a Prime Minister in eight years.
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A delegation of almost 60 representatives of British businesses and cultural institutions is accompanying the Prime Minister as he continues his efforts to build bridges with Beijing.
Sir Keir is the first British Prime Minister to visit China since Theresa May in 2018.
The intervening years saw a cooling of relations with China under the Conservatives, before Labour began re-engaging with a series of ministerial visits capped with Sir Keir’s trip.
Addressing the 54 business figures in the lobby of their hotel in Beijing, the Prime Minister said: “They say eight days is a long time in politics, try eight years, because it’s eight years since a British prime minister stepped on Chinese soil.
“On this delegation, you’re making history. You’re part of the change that we’re bringing about.
“That’s consistent with everything we’ve done in government, particularly internationally.
“We are resolute about being outward-looking, about taking opportunities, about building relationships … and always being absolutely focused on our national interest.”
The Prime Minister has been accused of going “cap in hand to China” as the Liberal Democrats claimed his visit is to “ask for a trade deal on the promise of a super-embassy”.
Liberal Democrat deputy leader Daisy Cooper was referring to the Government’s decision last week to approve a vast new Chinese embassy in the heart of London, despite concerns it could be used for espionage and transnational repression.
She raised the case of British national Jimmy Lai, 78, a pro-democracy campaigner who has been imprisoned in Hong Kong since 2020 and was convicted of sedition and conspiracy last year under Chinese-imposed national security laws.
Ms Cooper said: “Whilst the Chinese regime still holds British citizen Jimmy Lai captive in prison, and whilst the Chinese regime continues to hunt down pro-democracy protesters on the streets of Britain with bounties on their heads, the British Prime Minister has gone cap in hand to China to ask for a trade deal on the promise of a super-embassy from which the Chinese regime will continue to spy on us.”
Ms Cooper asked Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy to “name one single consequence that the Chinese regime will face if they do not stop their campaign of espionage and repression”.
Responding, Mr Lammy said: “China matters and ignoring them would be a dereliction of duty. We will build a consistent, long-term and strategic approach, grounded in reality.
“And that is what our allies do – President Trump, Macron, Chancellor Merz, Prime Minister Carney, all are visiting and engaging. We’ll cooperate where we can, and I’m sure in areas like climate, she would expect us to cooperate, and we will challenge in areas where we disagree.”
Ms Cooper replied: “I note the Deputy Prime Minister could not name one single consequence if the Chinese do not stop their espionage and repression.”
The Prime Minister said that he wanted “a comprehensive and consistent approach to China”, rather than veering “from golden age to ice age”, as under the previous government.
In the UK, he has come under pressure to raise a series of human rights issues with Chinese President Xi Jinping and other senior officials.
But ahead of his meetings with the Chinese leadership, Sir Keir declined to be drawn on what he would seek to raise.
He said: “In the past, on all the trips I’ve done, I’ve always raised issues that need to be raised, but I don’t want to get ahead of myself on the specifics until I’ve had the opportunity.”
Sir Keir added: “Part of the reason for engaging with China is so that issues where we disagree can be discussed, and the issues where we agree can be progressed, and so that’s the approach.”
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said Sir Keir was wrong to visit China.
Taking questions from journalists after making a speech on Wednesday morning, the Conservative leader said: “You asked, would I be going to China? No, not now, because I don’t think that this is the time to do that. We need to be talking to those other countries who are worried about the threat China is posing to them.”
She said Sir Keir “needs to show strength, not approving a super-embassy which many people think is going to become a spy hub”.