Keir Starmer pushes to revive UK ties with China as he becomes first PM in five YEARS to meet Xi Jinping

SIR Keir Starmer volition contiguous go the archetypal British Prime Minister successful 5 years to conscionable Chinese President Xi Jinping arsenic helium pushes to revive strained UK-China ties.

The Prime Minister vowed to person "serious and pragmatic" discussions with Beijing connected the archetypal time of the G20 acme successful Brazil. 

The historical gathering comes amid fears of a planetary commercialized warfare aft Donald Trump's US predetermination victory.

The President-elect has already threatened to enforce tariffs of up to 60 per cent connected Chinese exports.

Speaking to reporters connected his mode to the summit successful Rio de Janeiro, the PM said: "I americium readying to person a bilateral with president Xi astatine the G20. I deliberation that’s important.

"We are some planetary players, planetary powers, some imperishable members of the information assembly and of the G20.

"China’s economy is evidently the 2nd biggest successful the world. It’s 1 of our biggest trading partners and truthful I volition beryllium having serious, pragmatic discussions with the president erstwhile I conscionable him."

Sir Keir besides dodged questions connected his erstwhile accusation that Xi's authorities was blameworthy of genocide against the Uyghur Muslims, saying:  "I deliberation Rishi Sunak utilized successful his precise past PMQs oregon the 1 earlier to inquire maine astir China truthful there’s a full bid of answers determination successful presumption of my position."

China is the UK’s fifth-largest trading partner, with exports to Beijing rising from £20 cardinal successful 2016 to £33 cardinal past year.

The past British premier curate to conscionable Xi was Theresa May successful 2018, during what Beijing called the "golden era" of British-Sino relations.

But ties person since soured implicit China's crackdown successful Hong Kong, spying fears and quality rights abuses against Uyghur Muslims successful Xinjiang.

Tory erstwhile enactment person Sir Iain Duncan Smith blasted the talks, telling The Sun:  "This is precise sad.

"Those suffering genocide and enslaved labour nether the brutal hands of  Xi volition consciousness betrayed. We besides cognize China is blameworthy of supporting Russia successful its penetration of Ukraine with the deaths of 100 of thousands of people. 

"With sanctioned MP’s similar maine wide that China and its axis of totalitarian states airs a immense menace to america successful the escaped world."

MI5 main Ken McCallum warned past twelvemonth of the hazard that China continued to contiguous by trying to bargain “cutting-edge” British technological research.