Let the kowtowing begin! Starmer arrives in Beijing hoping to boost trade ties despite fury over spying and human rights abuses

Keir Starmer arrived in China today to propose boosting trade despite his anger over widespread espionage and human rights abuses.

The Prime Minister was given a bouquet of flowers as he stepped off the plane in Beijing for the first visit by a British prime minister in eight years.

Sir Keir insisted it was essential to do business with the Asian giant, although he acknowledged there must always be a robust approach to security.

He is accompanied by a delegation of business leaders; but Chancellor Rachel Reeves is well behind in London.

But the Conservatives accused him of ‘walking into the ground’ in his desperation to revive the economy.

Following allegations that government officials’ phones had been hacked in the past, Sir Keir told reporters on the flight that there was no evidence anyone had been targeted in the Downing Street operation.

He was challenged over No10’s security following reports that state-backed hackers had exposed private communications of close aides to Boris Johnson, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak.

It is stated that intelligence sources fear that the operation, which started in 2021, known as Typhoon Salt, will continue.

But when asked whether his own staff had been successfully targeted while en route to Beijing, Sir Keir said: ‘No, there is no evidence of that.’

He continued: ‘As you would expect, we have solid plans and security measures in place.’

Sir Keir and his entire team are believed to have taken with them new mobile phones and ‘printing’ devices such as laptops as they departed on Tuesday night for the first visit by a British Prime Minister to China in eight years.

Sir Keir was greeted with a bouquet of flowers when he arrived at the airport

Sir Keir insisted it was essential to do business with the Asian giant, although he acknowledged there must always be a robust approach to security.

Sir Keir on charter flight because security concerns barred him from boarding government jet

Flags raised in preparation for Keir Starmer’s arrival in Beijing today

He and his delegation will hold a meeting with President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang (left).

A former Security Minister even suggested that the delegation, which included 50 leading figures from Britain’s business and cultural sectors, flew on a British Airways plane rather than the Government’s own plane to limit the risk posed by Chinese spies.

Tom Tugendhat wrote on social media: ‘Starmer’s circus aren’t just taking burner phones to China to defeat espionage, they’re taking burner planes too!

‘The government jet stays at home because it needs to be protected at all hours of the day to prevent China from planting bugs; so they chartered a plane!’

Speaking to reporters on his way to a trade mission to Beijing, Sir Keir was less than pleased with what he had to say to President Xi Jinping about sensitive issues such as human rights abuses when they met on Thursday.

But the Prime Minister insisted: ‘I always raise issues that need to be raised, but I don’t want to get ahead of myself on details until I have the opportunity. But one of the reasons we engage with China is so that the issues we disagree on can be discussed and the issues we agree on can be advanced, and that’s the approach.’

When asked what he hoped to gain from the trip, he replied: ‘China is the world’s second largest economy and one of our largest trading partners. And during the last government period, we deviated from the golden age to the ice age.

‘And what I want to do is continue the approach that I’ve laid out several times now, which is a comprehensive and consistent approach to China.

‘I think there are opportunities, but frankly we will never compromise on national security in taking those opportunities.’

Sir Keir, accompanied by a delegation of British businessmen, will hold talks with President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Li Qiang on investment and national security on Thursday.

It comes just a week after the Prime Minister was branded ‘Kowtow Keir’ for allowing China to build a mega embassy in London despite fears it would become a base for espionage and repression of dissidents.

On Monday, it was claimed that Chinese spies had been hacking the mobile phones of senior Downing Street officials for several years.

Sir Keir has been under pressure to raise human rights concerns with leaders of the communist superpower, including the case of jailed British citizen and democracy activist Jimmy Lai.

Another issue likely to be high on his agenda is ensuring that Chinese company Jingye pays for the decommissioning of the Scunthorpe steelworks, which is currently under UK control.

Before kicking off his trip last night, No 10 claimed the Prime Minister was ‘open-minded and realistic’ about the challenges and opportunities posed by China.

Sir Keir added: ‘For years, our approach to China has been dogged by inconsistencies between heat and cold, from the Golden Age to the Ice Age. But like it or not, China is important to the UK.

‘As one of the world’s largest economic players, a strategic and consistent relationship with them is absolutely in our national interests.

‘This does not mean turning a blind eye to the difficulties they present, but intervening even where we disagree.’

After the political talks, the delegation will go to Shanghai to hold meetings with British and Chinese businessmen. This will be followed by a final stop in Tokyo, where Sir Keir will meet Japan’s first female prime minister, Sanae Takaichi.

Meanwhile, in an interview on the eve of the trip, Sir Keir emphasized that he could establish a better trade relationship with China without upsetting Donald Trump.

He told Bloomberg: ‘I am often challenged to choose between countries. I don’t do this