"Keir Starmer has travelled to China with a vow to bring stability and clarity to the UK's approach to Beijing after years of what he described as inconsistency under the Tories, but a series of issues may get in the way of his efforts to improve relations with the economic powerhouse. Human rights One of the thorniest issues on the agenda is the case of Jimmy Lai, the jailed former media tycoon and one of Hong Kong's most famous pro-democracy voices."
"Lai is a British citizen and was found guilty by a Hong Kong court of national security offences last month that the UK sees as politically motivated. Yvette Cooper, the foreign secretary, has called for his immediate release and summoned the Chinese ambassador after his conviction. Lai faces spending the rest of his life in prison, amid increasing fears about his physical condition."
"Taiwan President Xi could raise Taiwan, the self-governing island that Beijing claims as its territory, although it is an issue China wants the west to stay out of. Unification is one of Xi's main priorities and he has not ruled out the use of force to achieve it. Under his rule, aggression towards Taiwan has increased, with intense military intimidation and non-military attacks and harassment designed to convince or coerce Taipei to give up the territory."
Keir Starmer travelled to China aiming to bring stability and clarity to the UK's approach to Beijing after years of perceived inconsistency under the Conservatives. Major obstacles include human rights concerns such as the imprisonment of British citizen Jimmy Lai and reports of Uyghur forced labour. Taiwan remains a sensitive matter as Xi prioritises unification and has increased military intimidation and non-military harassment to coerce Taipei. US intelligence assesses the PLA has been ordered to be ready to win a fight over Taiwan by 2027. The UK does not recognise Taiwan and previously faced threats from China to cancel high-level trade talks over a ministerial visit.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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