Britain needs to open a new “pragmatic and serious relationship” with China, Sir Keir Starmer said as he prepares to become the first UK prime minister to hold talks with President Xi in more than five years.
Starmer will meet Xi on the margins of the G20 summit in Brazil on Monday in one of several signs of a thaw in diplomatic relations.
Ahead of the talks Starmer emphasised the “important” nature of the Chinese economy to the UK and said it was “only right” London that engaged positively with Beijing. The discussions are expected to cover international stability, climate change and growth.
However, the talks, which follow a visit to China by David Lammy, the foreign secretary, in October, will be scrutinised by