David Cameron, UK prime minister, will on Wednesday tell China that it would serve its own interests if it opened up to multiparty democracy, a free press and the rule of law, as he attempts to balance concerns for human rights with his trade mission.
In a keynote speech to university students in Beijing, Mr Cameron will explain that the constraints he faces in Britain from a political opposition, from the media and from the courts can be frustrating, “but ultimately we believe that they make our government better and our country stronger”.
Free speech helps “the British government to come to sensible decisions and to develop robust policies that command the confidence of our people”, he will say.