Starmer ‘on collision course’ with Trump and EU over China

China skeptics warn Britain is on ‘collision course’ with both Donald Trump and the EU after Sir Keir Starmer’s speech He met with Xi Jinping One Relations with Beijing are thawingprominent

The Chinese premier chose to directly echo the Prime Minister’s words as he praised Starmer for “rebuilding Britain” and “solidifying the foundations” of the economy, in a significant change of tone after years of frosty relations.

Stamer, the first British Prime Minister to meet the Chinese president since Theresa May in 2018, said strong ties between the two countries would be “important” for global relations.

In addition to raising the issue of human rights in China and the case of political prisoner Jimmy Lai, Starmer raised the possibility of a future bilateral meeting with Xi in London and a visit by Chancellor Rachel Reeves to Beijing with her Chinese counterpart next year. brought.

Speaking in the opening speech of talks with Xi in Rio de Janeiro, Starmer said: “We want our relations to be consistent, durable, respectful and, as agreed, to avoid surprises as much as possible.

“A strong UK-China relationship is important for both our countries and the wider international community.”

And he added: “The UK will be a predictable, consistent, sovereign actor committed to the rule of law.”

At the meeting held at the G20 summit in Brazil, Xi said: “The world has entered a new era marked by turbulence and transformation.

“As permanent members of the UN security council and leading global economies, China and the United Kingdom share the dual responsibility for advancing our national development and finding solutions to global challenges.”

And he added: “The new UK government is working to fix the foundations of the economy and rebuild Britain, and has set out a vision of reconnecting Britain.”

The comments will be cautiously but welcomed by Downing Street because they could signal Starmer’s potential new position as a bridge between East and West, especially after Trump’s election in the United States.

But Starmer is the UK leader who has warned that moving closer to Beijing would throw Britain off balance vis-à-vis both the US and the EU, at a time when Trump is preparing to hit China with huge tariffs and Brussels is moving to protect its own markets. It was also supported by critics.

The Prime Minister was also accused of turning a blind eye to human rights abuses to stimulate the economy; Because reporters covering his meetings with Xi were rushed out of the room after a question about Lai, the businessman and pro-democracy campaigner who is on trial in Hong Kong.

But responding to readings of the Starmer-Xi talks, Luke de Pulford, chief executive of the China Inter-Parliamentary Alliance, whose members include many Labor MPs, said: I: “Today is Groundhog Day at Number 10.

“This statement could have been written 15 years ago, before Beijing attacked Hong Kong, committed genocide against the Uyghurs and began taking a sledgehammer to international norms.

“The idea that the UK’s prosperity depends on capitulating to China is as lacking in evidence as it is outdated.

“Worse still, everyone but the UK seems to be waking up as Starmer’s new China policy puts us on a direct collision course with the EU and the US.

“Just before his meeting with Starmer, Xi Jinping made clear to President Biden that human rights, Taiwan, democracy and development are red lines for China.

“Exactly what the Prime Minister thinks he can achieve for UK values ​​against this background is a mystery.”

Former Conservative Cabinet minister Sir Iain Duncan Smith said: I Starmer has been said to be “early-eyed” as he tries to get closer to China as Trump’s presidency approaches.

“Our most important ally – not China, by the way – is about to make a deal with China to make sure they can’t just throw away the World Trade Organization rules as they are, and to put tariffs on their goods because they’re produced by slave labor. they are subsidized by the state, undercutting normal global trade rules.

“They do this all the time, and what they’re tired of in America is that they’re becoming a dumping ground for Chinese goods because no one else can produce them this cheaply.

“Starmer opens the door to say: Send us all your stuff.

“Europe will increase customs duties, we will not do that.

“We’ll fall into the swamp.”

Duncan Smith also took aim at Starmer’s opening speech, saying the Government’s remarks were “predictable” as if the Prime Minister was “apologizing” to Xi for the UK’s previous approach to China because he was “desperate” for economic growth He claimed that it appeared

Read Next

“This is a man who seems desperate because it is clear enough that his plans for growth in his own country are rapidly going south.

“This made-up meeting is about: ‘Oh my God, we have to find a way to grow the economy, let’s go do business with China, and honestly we have to deal with it and we can.’ Genocide, organ harvesting, arresting democracy advocates, invading the South China Seas, “Don’t let the other things they’re doing, like supporting Russia, get in the way of a big deal.”

Starmer later defended his meeting with Xi, telling broadcasters: “I have made it clear that I want a serious and pragmatic relationship with China.

“The second largest economy in the world. It is one of our largest trading partners and so we have issues that we need to discuss openly, but also of course we need to be open about the issues we disagree on.

“But I will always act in the national interest, and that was the basis of our discussions this morning.”