A review of Britain’s relations with China has been delayed until after Rachel Reeves visits the country.
She is due to make a trip to Beijing in January – the first by a UK Chancellor in five years.
But as Labour tries to improve relations with the Communist superpower, the Government has postponed its publication of a cross-Whitehall ‘China audit’.
According to The Guardian, the report was set to be released in January but has now been pushed back to the spring.
It comes in the wake of the revelation that a Chinese businessman who befriended Prince Andrew has been banned from the UK on national security grounds – and fears that ministers will resist calls to take a tougher line on the country.
Rachel Reeves is due to make a trip to Beijing in January – the first by a UK Chancellor in five years
As Labour tries to improve relations with the Communist superpower, the Government has postponed its publication of a cross-Whitehall ‘China audit’ (pictured: Keir Starmer during a bilateral meeting with President Xi Jinping of China at the G20 in Brazil last month)
MPs this week demanded that China be placed in the ‘enhanced’ tier of a new register aimed at tackling foreign influence, but there are concerns the Government is being lobbied by big business to resist the move.
Yesterday Ms Reeves defended Labour’s approach – which has involved Sir Keir Starmer becoming the first Prime Minister since 2018 to hold face-to-face talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
She said: ‘It’s most important we always put our national security first. Our relationship with China will be a pragmatic one. But we should trade and seek investment when it is in our national interest to do so.’