UK wants 'strong' relationship with China, says Keir Starmer

Sir Keir Starmer had an encounter with President Xi Jinping during the G20 summit in Brazil, highlighting the significance of having a solid UK-China partnership for the benefit of both nations.

This meeting marked the first in-person encounter between a UK prime minister and the Chinese president since 2018, occurring amidst a recent decline in their relationship.

Sir Keir brought up the situation of Jimmy Lai, the pro-democracy activist from Hong Kong who is in detention, expressing his worries over reports indicating that Lai's health is getting worse.

The Prime Minister expressed an interest in enhancing collaboration with businesses, especially in shared interests like global stability, climate issues, and economic development.

According to the Press Association news agency, Sir Keir encountered President Xi during the G20 summit held in Rio de Janeiro.

At the beginning of the meeting, the Prime Minister stated, "We aim for our relationship to be steady, lasting, and respectful, as previously discussed, and to minimize any unexpected developments whenever we can."

He mentioned, "The UK will be a reliable and steady nation, dedicated to following the law and maintaining its sovereignty."

Sir Keir suggested having a complete bilateral meeting in either Beijing or London.

Using a translator, Mr. Xi expressed to Sir Keir that both nations should prioritize mutual respect and transparency. He remarked, "China and the UK have ample opportunities for collaboration in multiple areas such as trade, investment, renewable energy, financial services, healthcare, and enhancing the well-being of our citizens."

In August, they had a phone conversation following Labour's win in the election the month before, but they still haven't gotten together face-to-face.

China's backing of Russia's military efforts in Ukraine has drawn negative feedback from the UK and various other Western nations.

Prior to the gathering in Brazil, the prime minister expressed: "The United Kingdom will benefit from participating in global affairs, whether by forming solid and productive relationships with our key allies or by openly discussing our differences with those who hold contrasting values."

Working closely with major global economies is essential for attracting investment to the UK and generating the jobs necessary to drive growth.

Last month, Foreign Secretary David Lammy met with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi and Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang in Beijing for discussions.

The most recent British prime minister to meet with President Xi was Theresa May, who celebrated a "golden era" in the relationship between the UK and China during her trip to the country in 2018.

Since that time, tensions have arisen regarding several matters, including how China has been handling the Uyghur minority in Xinjiang and the situation with pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong.

In the previous year, Rishi Sunak, who was the Conservative Prime Minister at the time, referred to China as "the greatest state-sponsored danger to our economic safety."

However, similar to the present administration, he emphasized the importance of collaborating with China on matters such as climate change and the global economy.

While on his way to the summit in Rio de Janeiro, Sir Keir told reporters that "bolstering support for Ukraine" was his primary focus.

Ahead of the meeting, Downing Street stated that the prime minister plans to encourage other G20 countries to increase their assistance for Ukraine, warning that if Russia succeeds, the consequences could be unimaginable.

The meeting comes on the heels of extensive missile and drone strikes by Russia throughout Ukraine during the weekend, and it will occur as the war nears its 1,000th day.

This comes following news that the United States has given the green light for Ukraine to use the long-range missiles it provides to target Russia.

So far, Kyiv has only employed the weapons against targets in areas occupied by Russia within its own borders.

The UK has provided Ukraine with its Storm Shadow missiles, and for quite some time, defense officials and ministers have been advocating for Kyiv to have the ability to deploy them against targets within Russia. However, they were hesitant to take action independently and were waiting for the White House to shift its stance.

Downing Street refrained from commenting on whether the UK would take the same path as the US, but did not dismiss the possibility of permitting Kyiv to utilize British-provided Storm Shadow missiles.

Sir Keir is engaging in discussions with leaders from other G20 nations, which include 19 of the biggest economies in the world, along with representatives from the African Union and the European Union.

The summit is marked by the noticeable absence of President-elect Donald Trump.

Trump has urged his allies to adopt a tougher stance against China, and there is a possibility of a worldwide trade conflict if he goes ahead with his plan to implement a 60% tariff on Chinese imports coming into the US.

This summit will give global leaders an initial opportunity to share insights and strategize for Trump's anticipated return to the White House.

Downing Street announced that the prime minister will prioritize forming alliances to boost economic growth and security at the summit. Additionally, there will be a push to speed up the transition to cleaner energy and to support economic progress in developing nations.

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