Kowtow Keir hails Chinese for his or her technological progress – however fails to safe launch of British businessman

Sir Keir Starmer last night risked fresh accusations of ‘kowtowing’ to China as he said it is better than Britain at pushing through major projects.

The Prime Minister hailed the pace of technological change under Xi Jinping and lamented that the UK is too slow in building infrastructure.

He also suggested that British businesses would benefit from employees learning Chinese after actress Rosamund Pike told him on a visit to Shanghai that her children are learning ‘the language of the future’.

Sir Keir made the comments as he left China at the end of a controversial trip in which he was accused of failing to get enough in return for allowing the Communist superpower to build a mega–embassy in London.

He successfully lobbied president Xi to lift sanctions on some MPs and peers who had spoken out against human rights abuses in Xinjiang province, but did not secure the release of British citizen Jimmy Lai from jail in Hong Kong.

Sir Keir was asked by reporters yesterday if his digital ID plan, scaled back after a backlash from Labour MPs as well as the public, could learn anything from China, where citizens use a single mobile phone app called AliPay to do everything from paying for goods to booking taxis.

The PM replied: ‘Well, on technology and on things like infrastructure, the speed at which they’re acting is really important. And I feel that on things like infrastructure we’re too slow in the United Kingdom.’

The Prime Minister hailed the pace of technological change under Xi Jinping and lamented that the UK is too slow in building infrastructure

Keir Starmer did not secure the release of British citizen Jimmy Lai (pictured) from jail in Hong Kong

Afterwards, Sir Keir and his delegation flew on to Tokyo, where he met Japan’s first female prime minister

But he went on: ‘On digital ID, we’ll do it our own way, with a UK perspective, so we’ll be very UK–focused.’

Sir Keir was also asked about the comments made to him by Hollywood star Ms Pike, whose play Inter Alia is to be shown in cinemas across China, about her children speaking Chinese.

He replied: ‘I think that a lot of businesses are encouraging people to learn Mandarin. So yes, I’m not pushing it in particular, but I’m sure businesses would want people to develop language for their own purposes.’

During his visit to the Design Innovation Institute Shanghai, he met the cast of a touring production of Matilda The Musical, being staged by the Royal Shakespeare Company.

One actor, wearing a green wig, told Sir Keir his father was a toolmaker. To laughter from the British delegation, he replied: ‘I have said that many times.’

Afterwards, Sir Keir and his delegation flew on to Tokyo, where he met Japan’s first female prime minister.

At the start of their bilateral meeting, he was told by Sanae Takaichi that he seems ‘very fit’.

He also invited her to his country residence, Chequers, she revealed in remarks after their talks, although she will have to win an election first.

‘At a time when circumstances permit, I would like to take up that invitation and further advance Japan–UK cooperation,’ she said.

Sir Keir said before their working dinner: ‘I look forward to our dinner, and to the meeting that I hope we will have in Chequers.’