Keir Starmer is heading to China tomorrow for a controversial visit as Labour’s civil war rages.
The PM will travel to Beijing with Rachel Reeves and a business delegation as he bids to boost trade.
It will be the first trip by a UK premier since Theresa May in 2018.
The trip comes just days after the Government approved Beijing’s plans for a ‘super embassy’ in London near sensitive communications cables.
There have also been protests in the wake of Hong Kong democracy activist Jimmy Lai being found guilty of colluding against the Chinese government.
Sir Keir has been accused of going to Beijing ‘on his knees’ rather than from a position of strength.
Keir Starmer will travel to Beijing with Rachel Reeves and a business delegation as he bids to boost trade.
Sir Keir will hold talks with Chinese premier Xi Jinping
The Tories have urged him to ‘stand up’ for the UK rather than trying to do ‘so-called trade deals’ with the regime.
A No10 source the Government was determined to pursue a ‘hard-headed, grown-up’ approach to its relationship with Beijing that ‘puts British families first’.
They added: ‘Sticking our heads in the sand and pretending China does not matter would be reckless, making Britain poorer and less secure.’
A former MI6 boss has warned that China was a ‘much more dangerous threat’ to the UK than the US.
Sir John Sawers, the former head of MI6 and former UK Permanent Representative to the United Nations, said China was a greater threat than the US. His comments come in the wake of the row over Greenland, after Donald Trump demanded that the island be sold to him.
‘American tech is very powerful, and the only country that’s really rivalling the Americans on this is China,’ he told Times Radio. ‘Whatever our reservations are about the US, China is a much more dangerous country to be partnering with.
‘Certainly, it poses a continued threat to our national security and we can’t rely on China for high-tech services. But I think it is important we develop a diversity of relationships.’