Keir Starmer to meet with Chinese President Xi at G20 summit as he pushes for 'pragmatic' relationship

By Emma Soteriou

Keir Starmer will meet with Chinese President Xi at the G20 summit as he pushes for a 'pragmatic' relationship moving forward.

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The pair will hold talks in Rio de Janeiro on Monday, with Sir Keir having pledged to have "pragmatic" discussions with the leader when they speak.

It marks the first time a British PM has met with the president since 2018.

The meeting will be one in a series of discussions the Prime Minister is set to have with world leaders at the two-day summit.

The conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East are expected to be high on the agenda.

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Sir Keir said: "I am planning to have a bilateral with President Xi at the G20. I think that's important.

"We are both global players, global powers, both permanent members of the Security Council and of the G20.

"China's economy is obviously the second biggest in the world.

"It's one of our biggest trading partners and therefore I will be having serious pragmatic discussions with the president when I meet him."

The UK-China relationship has deteriorated in recent years, with concerns over security, human rights and the sanctioning of Westminster parliamentarians souring ties with Beijing.

When asked if he wanted a better relationship with Beijing than previous governments, Sir Keir said: "Given the size of the economy, it is very important that we have a pragmatic and serious relationship, and that's what I intend to pursue."

Trade could be one of the issues that comes up amid concerns over US President-elect Donald Trump's threats to impose tariffs on imports.

Outgoing president Joe Biden spoke to President Xi on Saturday.

"Over the past four years, China-US relations have experienced ups and downs, but with the two of us at the helm, we have also engaged in fruitful dialogues and co-operation, and generally achieved stability," Mr Biden said.

It was the last time the pair would meet officially but Mr Xi said that "China is ready to work with a new administration".