Fury as Keir Starmer paves way for China's Xi Jinping to visit Britain

Keir Starmer risked provoking anger after opening the door for Chinese dictator Xi Jinping to visit Britain.

The Prime Minister is said to be open to the idea of welcoming the Communist leader after bonding with him on his trip to China.

But it is likely to prove hugely controversial, not least as five MPs are currently banned from visiting China.

Sir Keir and President Xi held “warm” talks in Beijing on Thursday, heralding a closer relationship between China and the UK.

Their growing closeness and shared love of football has increased the likelihood that a visit could happen.

President Xi last made the trip in 2015, during which he enjoyed a pint of beer in the pub with then-Prime Minister David Cameron.

Asked if Sir Keir wanted Xi to come to Britain, his spokesman said: “I think the PM has been clear that a reset relationship with China, that it’s no longer in an ice age, is beneficial to British people and British business.

“I’m not going to get ahead of future engagements, we’ll set those out in the normal way.”

President Xi could alternatively make a full state visit but in that instance he would have to be invited personally by King Charles.

But any visit by the Chinese leader is likely to provoke considerable anger.

As well as banning MP’s, China has been accused of spying on parliament and No 10.

There are also controversies around a new Chinese mega-embassy in London and the case of jailed British tycoon Jimmy Lai.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said: “Keir Starmer seems incapable of acting in Britain’s national interest.

“We should not roll out the red carpet for a state that conducts daily espionage in our country, flouts international trading rules and aids Putin in his senseless war on Ukraine. We need a dialogue with China, we do not need to kowtow to them.

“But Keir Starmer is weak and has no backbone. The Conservatives will always work for a stronger economy and stronger country.”

Sir Keir has made a concerted effort to improve relations with China since he was elected Prime Minister 18 months ago

The five MPs targeted by China were Sir Iain Duncan Smith, the former Tory leader, Tom Tugendhat, Nusrat Ghani, Neil O’Brien and Tim Loughton.

Two peers, David Alton and Helena Kennedy, were also sanctioned.

All were banned from entering China, Hong Kong and Macau, any property they had in China was frozen, and they were blocked from doing business with any Chinese citizen or institution.

Following his landmark talks Sir Keir, who was given a tour of Beijing’’s historic Forbidden City, secured a deal that will see China reduce whisky tariffs from 10% to 5%, in an agreement worth £250 million over five years for UK exporters.

A deal on visa-free travel to China for UK citizens was also agreed.

Those visiting the country for less than 30 days will no longer need a visa under the agreement.

It will apply to those travelling to China for business and as tourists and brings the rules for UK visitors in line with those from 50 other countries including France and Germany.

The change will not come into effect immediately, but Beijing is understood to have committed to unilateral visa-free entry for UK citizens with a start date to be confirmed.

Sir Keir told Mr Xi he wanted a “more sophisticated” relationship with China, while President said relations had been through some “twists and turns” in recent years.

The men met with their delegations for about an hour and 20 minutes, followed by a 20-minute four-way meeting with national security adviser Jonathan Powell and Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi and then a lunch that lasted just over an hour.

Sir Keir arrived alongside a delegation of 54 representatives of British businesses and cultural institutions looking to deepen ties with the country.

The Prime Minister also raised “areas of concern” during the talks, Downing Street said.

Sir Keir has faced calls to raise the case of Jimmy Lai and the treatment of the Uighur minority with the Chinese leadership.

He said they had a “respectful discussion” on those issues and that this was “part and parcel of the reason to engage”.

The Prime Minister said: “We raised those issues, as you would expect.

“Part of the rationale for engagement is to make sure that we can both seize the opportunities that are available, which is what we’ve done, but also have a mature discussion about issues that we disagree on.”

Downing Street declined to be drawn on details of the discussions on contentious issues including Mr Lai, MPs sanctioned by China, Uighurs and Beijing’s purchase of Russian oil hit by western sanctions seeking to cripple its war effort in Ukraine.

His official would not say whether Sir Keir told the Chinese president that Mr Lai should be released, but said that the Government’s position calling for his immediate release has not changed.

According to his son, the 78-year-old British national has spent five years in solitary confinement in treatment which amounts to “torture” under Hong Kong’s new national security law.

On Ukraine, the Prime Minister’s spokesman said: “Both leaders were clear about the shared aim to see the war brought to an end.”

A Chinese readout of the meeting said that China will not “pose a threat” to other countries.

Sir Keir also addressed the UK-China Business Council, where chief executive of British pharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca, Sir Pascal Soriot, announced an investment of 100 billion yuan (£10.4 billion) in China by 2030 to expand medicines manufacturing and research and development.