Starmer says China is DROPPING sanctions against MPs after his ‘kowtowing’ visit… paving the way for  Xi Jinping to come to the UK

China has lifted sanctions on MPs and colleagues who spoke out against human rights abuses, clearing the way for its President to visit the UK next year.

Keir Starmer has revealed that travel bans and asset freezes imposed on MPs five years ago were lifted after he lobbied Xi Jinping during talks in Beijing.

The group of seven people, including former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith, were accused of ‘maliciously spreading lies and disinformation’ by Chinese authorities after they raised the alarm about the mistreatment of Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang province.

It is thought that lifting sanctions would remove a major objection to the Chinese president coming to the UK for the G20 summit next year.

After the possibility of a trip was raised yesterday, House of Commons speaker Lindsay Hoyle said President Xi would not be allowed the honor of speaking at Westminster.

‘I am the protector of the MPs. I’m there to protect them from sanctions. “It would be wrong to allow Xi into the workplace while these sanctions are in place,” he said.

Xi was last in the UK a decade ago, during David Cameron’s ‘golden age’ of close relations between the two countries.

However, relations have deteriorated significantly since then; until Sir Keir’s latest attempt at a ‘reset’.

The Prime Minister announced the move in broadcast interviews today after being asked how he could accommodate the Chinese President’s visit while MPs are under sanctions.

He told GB News: ‘I know that the action taken in relation to our parliamentarians is a real cause for concern, understandably. That’s why I raised this issue while I was here, and the Chinese answer is absolutely clear, the restrictions no longer apply. President Xi told me this means all parliamentarians are welcome.

‘And I think that shows that if you care you can raise difficult issues, issues that my parliamentary delegation expects me to raise, and so I can be clear that the restrictions no longer apply.’

He added: ‘Regarding President Xi coming to the UK. ‘Obviously we are hosting the G20 in 2027, China is a G20 country and so I hope it will participate.’

In a separate interview with Channel 4 News, Sir Keir was told that the lifting of sanctions was ‘fairly cosmetic’ as his MPs and colleagues would not be traveling to China and were also subject to intimidation.

He replied: ‘This is a very important issue, we brought it up because we have raised some sensitive issues.’

And he told Sky News that the outcome vindicated his decision to visit China, after being accused of “caving out” to President Xi and gaining little in return.

‘If we weren’t here, if we didn’t have the exchange between leaders, this is something that wouldn’t have happened. It doesn’t work if you stick your head in the sand.”

But sanctioned MPs have said they do not want to be used as bargaining chips and will not accept a delay while others continue to be targeted.

The group, which includes Lord Alton, Labour’s Baroness Kennedy, Conservative MPs Nusrat Ghani, Tom Tugendhat and Neil O’Brien, as well as former MP Tim Loughton, said in a statement: ‘In response to rumors that Beijing is considering lifting sanctions against us in exchange for diplomatic and economic concessions, we would like to make our position clear: we would rather remain sanctioned indefinitely than legitimize the use of our status as a bargaining chip. Lift British sanctions against officials responsible for genocide in Xinjiang.

‘We reject any agreement that prioritizes our personal interests over the Uyghur people’s quest for justice.

‘We are in full solidarity with our families, former colleagues and non-governmental organizations who are targeted by the People’s Republic of China. ‘We will not accept any postponement that applies only to sitting MPs while sanctions remain for others, including non-governmental organisations.’

It is not known whether China has lifted other sanctions it imposed in March 2021, including against Essex Court Chambers and Geoffrey Nice KC.

Sources said there was no provision in the agreement and Britain also did not lift the sanctions it had imposed on Chinese officials.

Critics say the Prime Minister left his meeting with Xi yesterday almost empty-handed. Duties on Scotch whiskey are being reduced and Brits will have the ability to travel to China visa-free for short trips, something 50 countries including France and Germany already have.

Trans-Atlantic tensions also emerged due to Sir Keir’s rapprochement with China.

Asked what he thought of the Prime Minister’s efforts at the premiere of the new documentary about his wife Melania, Donald Trump said: ‘It’s very dangerous for them to do this.’

Sir Keir made no commitment to release Jimmy Lai, the British democracy activist jailed in Hong Kong; or lifting sanctions against lawmakers and colleagues who speak out against China’s human rights abuses.

The leaders also discussed Ukraine but there was no indication that Sir Keir had persuaded President Xi to end his support for Russia.

Downing Street did not even say whether Sir Keir, known as Kowtow Keir for allowing Beijing to build a massive embassy in London, had raised scandals that Chinese intelligence services had tried to infiltrate Parliament or hacked into the phones of aides to former Tory prime ministers.

House of Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle had insisted Xi would not be allowed the honor of speaking at Westminster.

Trade minister Chris Bryant said during broadcast interviews this morning that he was clearly uncomfortable with the prospect of the visit, insisting he was committed to collective government responsibility.

He told Sky News: “I’m a government minister… of course we take all the issues you’ve just raised extremely seriously and I’m sure they will take any discussion into account.”