Sir Keir Starmer will on Monday hold the first face-to-face talks by a British prime minister with Chinese President Xi Jinping since 2018, as he seeks “sensible and pragmatic engagement” with the Asian superpower.
Starmer, who is expected to meet Xi in the margins of the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro, has warmed up relations with Beijing since becoming prime minister in July, in recognition of China’s role as a key export market.
With clouds hanging over global trade following the election of Donald Trump as the next US president, Starmer’s allies say he is determined to build a solid relationship with China, in spite of tensions over human rights and security.