UK-China latest: Starmer says Beijing will lift sanctions on British MPs immediately

After Sir Keir Starmer announced that sanctions against MPs and colleagues have been lifted, it appears that the UK will not lift the restrictions.

Britain has imposed sanctions on four Chinese officials and a state-run entity involved in human rights abuses in Xinjiang province, including against the Uyghur Muslim minority.

China’s foreign ministry said: “The two sides agreed in principle to maintain normal contacts between the legislatures of the two countries.

“China welcomes British parliamentarians who have a desire to visit China more and experience the real China.”

Sir Keir announced the lifting of sanctions on MPs and colleagues during a series of broadcast interviews in Shanghai and said it was his “duty” to raise the issue.

He told ITV News: “This has been a concern for Parliament and MPs for some time and that is why I raised the issue on this visit.

“The response from China is that the restrictions no longer apply, and President Xi told me that means all parliamentarians are open to visit.

“This underscores the point I’ve been making all along, which is that if you interact, if you come and visit and have leader-to-leader dialogue, you can not only take advantage of the opportunities that we have, but also solve the more difficult problems between our two countries.”

British MPs and colleagues sanctioned by China said their positions should not be used as a “bargaining chip” in Sir Keir Starmer’s negotiations with Beijing.

Britain has imposed sanctions on four Chinese officials and a state-run entity involved in human rights abuses in Xinjiang province, including against the Uyghur Muslim minority.

In response, in 2021 Beijing imposed sanctions on senior politicians, including former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith; former security minister Tom Tugendhat; Nus Ghani, deputy speaker of the House of Commons; Conservative MP Neil O’Brien; former MP Tim Loughton; and her peers Lord Alton of Liverpool and Baroness Kennedy of the Shaws.

The joint statement said: “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 prefer to remain sanctioned indefinitely rather than have our status used as a bargaining chip to justify the lifting of British sanctions against officials responsible for the genocide in Xinjiang.”

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

“We stand 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 sanctioning others, including non-governmental organisations.”

China has agreed to lift sanctions against British MPs and their colleagues with immediate effect, Sir Keir Starmer said.

It came as sanctioned politicians said they would prefer to remain sanctioned indefinitely rather than have their status used as a bargaining chip to justify the lifting of British sanctions on officials linked to human rights abuses against the Uyghur people.

Jimmy Lai and Hong Kong: Mr Lai, a 78-year-old British citizen, remains behind bars. The media mogul was an influential voice in Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement and has been detained for more than five years under the territory’s national security law. The prime minister said he had forwarded the case to Xi Jinping, but no movement appears to have been made regarding his release.

Uyghurs: The Muslim ethnic group in China’s northwestern Xinjiang province has reportedly suffered various human rights abuses at the hands of the Chinese government. Sir Keir said he was part of the “respectful debate” on areas where Uyghurs were in disagreement with President Xi.

Security concerns: The No. 10 delegation is taking no chances when it comes to security. This is a sign that concerns about potential Chinese state espionage still exist; everyone reportedly took temporary “user” phones with them during the trip to prevent their technology from being hacked by Chinese authorities.

Nigel Farage said he was “very nervous” about China’s activities when asked if he agreed with US President Donald Trump’s remarks.

The Reform UK leader added that Britain should not make any trade deals with China until Jimmy Lai is released.

Asked whether he agreed with Mr Trump, Mr Farage told broadcasters: “I am very nervous, very, very nervous about how effectively China is spying on us, stealing many of our industrial secrets.

“I am concerned about the extent to which they are infiltrating British universities using money. We must be careful about this relationship.”

He added that Sir Keir Starmer’s trip showed his mentality was “where we were 10 years ago” and that “everything has changed in the last decade, Keir Starmer has not”. Asked whether he would reverse the deals Sir Keir made on his trip, the Reform UK leader said: “I don’t think we should have any trade deals until Jimmy Lai, a British national, is released from prison.”

He added: “It is the duty of the British Government to stand up and defend (UK citizens).”

• Whiskey tariffs: China’s tariffs on Scotch whiskey will be reduced from 10 percent to 5 percent; The UK Government has said the deal will be worth £250 million to the UK economy over the next five years. Visa-free travel: Britons visiting China for less than 30 days will no longer need a visa. It will apply to business and tourist travelers to China and aligns rules for visitors from the UK with rules from 50 other countries, including France and Germany.
• Services: Clearer rules and better market access have been agreed for the UK’s services sector, including financial legal, administrative and retail services. China and the UK also agreed to conduct a “feasibility study” towards a binding services agreement.
• Small boats: Chinese and British authorities will work together for the first time and share information aimed at preventing the passage of small boats. Last year, 60 percent of the boats crossing the English Channel had Chinese-made engines. The agreement, as well as Chinese-made boats, will prevent them from falling into the hands of human traffickers.
• Establishing closer ties: Both countries agreed to work more closely on environmental issues, maintain a “high-level security dialogue”, a range of technical trade arrangements and closer parliamentary ties.
• Business deals: A delegation of 54 representatives from British business and cultural institutions joined Sir Keir on the trip with the aim of striking deals with their Chinese counterparts. To this end, Octopus Energy has brokered access to China’s clean energy market using British technology.