"Sir Keir Starmer is on his way to Beijing, making the first trip to China by a British prime minister since 2018. He is due to meet President Xi Jinping on Thursday. Around 60 British business and cultural leaders are also on the trip, including representatives from bank HSBC, pharmaceutical company GSK, Jaguar Land Rover and the National Theatre. It marks the latest and most important moment in the government's attempt to reboot the UK's relationship with China."
"China has been accused of committing crimes against humanity against the Uyghur population and other mostly-Muslim ethnic groups in the north-western region of Xingjiang. There has also been criticism over the treatment of Jimmy Lai - the Hong Kong pro-democracy media tycoon who is facing a life sentence in prison. In addition to China's human rights record, there are concerns about the scale of its espionage activities in the UK, with the head of MI5 recently warning that Chinese state operatives presented a daily national security threat."
Keir Starmer is travelling to Beijing to meet President Xi Jinping, the first UK prime ministerial visit to China since 2018. Around 60 British business and cultural leaders, including figures from HSBC, GSK, Jaguar Land Rover and the National Theatre, are accompanying the prime minister. The visit represents a government effort to reboot UK-China relations and pursue a strategic and consistent partnership. Critics warn of divergent worldviews, mistrust and serious concerns over human rights in Xinjiang and Jimmy Lai's treatment. Security agencies have raised alarms about extensive Chinese espionage activity in the UK. Downing Street says challenging issues will be raised while maintaining national interests.
Read at www.bbc.com
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