Keir Starmer Meets Xi Jinping at G20

Keir Starmer has faced significant backlash for his recent meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the G20 summit, particularly in light of the sentencing of 45 pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong under a controversial national security law. Critics, including former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith, have accused Starmer of 'kowtowing' to China and compromising the UK's stance on human rights for economic gain. Starmer emphasized the importance of maintaining a 'predictable and consistent' relationship with China, aiming for closer economic ties, despite the international outcry over human rights abuses. Political commentator Piers Pottinger condemned Starmer's approach as submissive, while former Hong Kong political leader Emily Lau expressed concern that the UK’s agreements regarding Hong Kong governance are deteriorating. The timing of the meeting has raised alarms about the UK's foreign policy direction and its alignment with US stances on China. The situation has ignited a debate about the balance between economic interests and human rights advocacy in UK-China relations.