Starmer Confronts Xi on Human Rights at G-20. It Did Not Go Well

Prime Minister Keir Starmer had barely registered the UK’s concerns with Chinese President Xi Jinping about the plight of a jailed newspaper publisher in Hong Kong when the British press found themselves abruptly bundled out of the room.

Author of the article:

Bloomberg News

Alex Wickham

Published Nov 18, 2024  •  4 minute read

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(Bloomberg) — Prime Minister Keir Starmer had barely registered the UK’s concerns with Chinese President Xi Jinping about the plight of a jailed newspaper publisher in Hong Kong when the British press found themselves abruptly bundled out of the room.

Xi spoke first in the meeting on Monday between the two leaders and their officials at the Group of 20 summit in Brazil on Monday, hailing the “broad space for cooperation” between the two nations, including on trade, investment, clean energy and financial services. There were some pleasantries also from Starmer, before the British premier brought up his concerns over sanctioned lawmakers, human rights, Taiwan, Hong Kong and the case of former media mogul Jimmy Lai.

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As Starmer mentioned those points of tension, Chinese officials stood up and ordered British journalists out of the room before the premier had finished his remarks. While the British premier’s entourage tried to resist and allow the reporters to stay, the Chinese team physically moved them out of the room. 

The awkward incident in the first meeting between the leaders of the UK and China in almost seven years underscores the challenge Starmer faces in seeking a thaw in ties with China after a period marked by Beijing’s crackdown on dissent in the former British colony. 

The premier and his ministers have repeatedly emphasized the need for pragmatism in dealings with China, noting that cooperation is important on global issues including climate change, security and economic stability. Starmer himself pushed for “respectful” relations between the two nations in his meeting with Xi. But the second strand of his approach to China was also on display: the importance of “challenging where necessary.” 

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“I’m very pleased that my foreign secretary and Foreign Minister Wang met recently and discussed respective concerns including human rights and parliamentary sanctions, Taiwan, the South China Sea and our and our shared interest in Hong Kong,” Starmer told Xi. “We are concerned by reports of Jimmy Lai’s deteriorating health in prison.”

The references to Hong Kong and Lai are particularly sensitive, given the UK’s role as the territory’s former colonial power. Britain says security legislation in Hong Kong breaches the handover agreement that saw the city return to Chinese rule in 1997.

A Hong Kong court is due to sentence dozens of former democracy advocates in Hong Kong’s largest national security trial on Tuesday, a move likely to further deter dissent and attract condemnation from Western governments.

The trial of Lai — founder of one of the finance hub’s most popular tabloids, Apple Daily — is due to resume Wednesday. Also charged with security crimes, he’s essentially standing trial for acts of self-expression once openly permitted under British rule.

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The Chinese readout of the meeting with Starmer didn’t reference Taiwan or human rights, which are among the most sensitive topics for the nation, two of the four “red lines” Xi spelled out in his meeting on Saturday with US President Joe Biden. The others include containing its economic rise and challenging the supremacy of the Communist Party. China claims Taiwan as its own and has threatened to take the island by force if necessary.

Xi told Starmer they should “break new ground in the China-UK relationship,” with a commitment to “mutual respect, openness, cooperation, exchanges and mutual learning for shared benefit,” according to a translation of his remarks. Despite his criticisms, Starmer also agreed with some of those sentiments.

“A strong UK-China relationship is important for both of our countries and for the broader international community,” the British prime minister told Xi. “The UK will be a predictable, consistent, sovereign actor committed to the rule of law.”

Starmer also proposed holding talks with premier Li Qiang — China’s second-highest ranking official — in Beijing or London, as well as a meeting between Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves and Vice Premier He Lifeng “for the upcoming economic financial dialog early next year to explore more investment projects and a more level playing field to help our businesses.” 

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Starmer’s Labour Party, in power since July, is conducting an audit of the relationship and appears determined to secure a closer dialog, which the prime minister is justifying by linking it to his core election pledge to turn Britain into the fastest growing economy among Group of Seven nations. He’s the first UK premier to meet Xi since Theresa May in early 2018. 

The UK has endured sluggish growth in recent years and data last week showed a slowdown since Labour took office, adding pressure on the government to improve the economy. China was the UK’s fifth-biggest trading partner in the year through the end of June, a relationship valued at £88 billion ($111 billion).

“Given the size of the economy, it is very important that we have a pragmatic and serious relationship,” Starmer told reporters on the plane to Brazil on Sunday.

Nevertheless, there are dangers in seeking a rapprochement, not least because it puts him at odds with the hawkish stance of US President-elect Donald Trump, who has threatened to impose tariffs as high as 60% on goods from China when he takes office in January. Trump has nominated several China hawks for senior positions, and during his first term, the UK came under pressure to take a tougher stance against Huawei’s role in Britain’s 5G network.

Starmer will also face scrutiny at home because the UK has repeatedly accused China of effectively supporting Russia’s war in Ukraine. Only two weeks ago, Britain sanctioned a number of Chinese companies it said were providing drones that Moscow was using in the conflict. 

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