British Prime Minister Keir Starmer to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing

 

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing

The British Prime Minister is on a three-day visit to China. He is the first British prime minister to visit the country since 2018.

Starmer, who is travelling with a delegation of 60 business and cultural leaders, says the visit will bring benefits to his countrymen.

On human rights issues, he says he has “always raised issues that need to be raised”, but he declined to go into detail.

Britain’s relationship with China can be described as a constant but hidden conflict.

BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner writes that while a full restoration of UK-China relations is unlikely, today’s meeting is realistically the start of diplomatic efforts.

China says

Keir Starmer’s visit will “provide an opportunity to enhance political mutual trust and deepen practical cooperation with the UK.”

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiaqin said London had shown “clear willingness” to strengthen ties with Beijing in a “sustainable, long-term and strategic manner.”

He added that “strengthening mutual trust, developing bilateral relations, and advancing mutually beneficial cooperation are in the interests of both countries and the rest of the world.”

Starmer and President Xi are also expected to sign a “border security agreement” to help disrupt the supply of small boat engines.

Downing Street says the agreement will “enhance” the evacuation of migrants denied the right to remain in the UK. The agreement is also aimed at preventing boats and engines from reaching people-smuggling gangs who put migrants on small boats bound for the UK.

The decision comes after more than 60% of small boat engines seized from smuggling gangs last year were found to be in Chinese, according to Downing Street.

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