Let the kowtowing begin! Starmer arrives in Beijing on trade mission

Keir Starmer arrived in China today as he bids to boost trade despite anger at rampant spying and human rights abuses.

The PM was handed a bouquet of flowers as he stepped off the plane in Beijing for the first visit by a UK premier for eight years. 

Sir Keir has insisted that doing business with the Asian giant is essential, despite acknowledging that there must always be a robust approach on security.

He is accompanied by a delegation of business leaders - although Chancellor Rachel Reeves has notably been left behind in London. Sir Keir told the group they were 'making history'.  

However, Tories have accused him of 'kowtowing' in his desperation to kickstart the economy. 

Kemi Badenoch said she would not be going to Beijing at this time, suggesting that instead Sir Keir should be talking to other countries about the 'threat China is posing to them'.

She jibed that the PM was 'probably going to give away the Isle of Wight' after agreeing to surrender the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.   

Sir Keir - who is due to meet Xi Jinping tomorrow - is on a British Airways charter flight seeming because security concerns prevented him taking a government jet. 

Sir Keir and his entire team are believed to have taken 'burner' devices such as new mobile phones and laptops. 

The passengers were treated to an on-board menu including Loch Fyne smoked salmon and avocado and grilled Herefordshire beef fillet.   

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Mrs Badenoch said: 'When it comes to China, Keir Starmer is too weak. Yes we need a relationship with China.

'But China doesn't believe in democracy, it has sanctioned our MPs, disrupts the global trade system, and has designs on Taiwan. We must not be in hock to China.'

Delivering a speech in Westminster, Mrs Badenoch said: 'He's probably going to give away the Isle of Wight before he comes back. 

'Let's have an actual foreign policy, one that is rooted in realism and focusing on Britain's national interest.' 

Addressing business figures in the lobby of their hotel in Beijing, Sir Keir said: 'They say eight days is a long time in politics, try eight years, because it's eight years since a British prime minister stepped on Chinese soil.

'On this delegation, you're making history. You're part of the change that we're bringing about.

Has someone told Keir to be funnier? Starmer jokes he will be landing the plane in Beijing 

Keir Starmer joked that he would be landing the plane in Beijing today.

The PM risked alarming the delegation of business chiefs, officials and journalists as he took charge of the comms system en route to China.  

After wishing one of the crew a happy 60th birthday and enthusing about the prospects for the trip, Sir Keir said:  'Sit back, enjoy the rest of the flight... I'll be bringing the plane in.'

The crack is the latest in an apparent bid by the premier to show his lighter side.

Earlier this week Sir Keir donned aviator sunglasses during a podcast recording and did an impression of Emmanuel Macron.

The French president has been sporting sunglasses in public due to suffering with an eye complaint. 

'That's consistent with everything we've done in government, particularly internationally.

'We are resolute about being outward-looking, about taking opportunities, about building relationships … and always being absolutely focused on our national interest.'

Earlier, Sir Keir told reporters on the flight there was no evidence anyone in his Downing Street operation had been targeted by spies. 

He was challenged about security in No 10 following reports that state-sponsored hackers had exposed the private communications of close aides to Boris Johnson, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak.

Intelligence sources are said to fear that the operation that began in 2021, known as Salt Typhoon, remains ongoing.

But asked en route to Beijing if his own staff had been successfully targeted, Sir Keir replied: 'No, there's no evidence of that.'

He went on: 'We've got robust schemes, security measures in place as you'd expect.'

A former Security Minister even suggested that the delegation, which also includes 50 leading figures from Britain's business and culture sectors, had flown on a British Airways plane rather than the Government's own plane to limit the risk posed by Chinese spies.

Tom Tugendhat wrote on social media: 'Starmer's circus aren't just taking burner phones to China to beat spying, they're taking a burner plane!

'The government jet is staying home because it would need to be guarded round the clock to stop China putting bugs on it - so they've hired a plane!'

Speaking to reporters as he embarked on his trade mission to Beijing, Sir Keir would not be drawn on what he will say to President Xi Jinping about sensitive topics such as human rights abuses when they meet on Thursday.

But the PM insisted: 'I've always raised issues that need to be raised, but I don't want to get ahead of myself on the specifics until I've had the opportunity. But part of the reason for engaging with China is so that issues where we disagree can be discussed, and the issues where we agree can be progressed, and so that's the approach.'

Asked what he hoped to get out of the trip, he replied: 'China is the second biggest economy in the world, one of our biggest trading partners. And under the last government, we veered from the golden age to the ice age.

'And what I want to do is follow through on the approach I've set out a number of times now, which is a comprehensive and consistent approach to China.

'I do think there are opportunities, but obviously we will never compromise national security in taking those opportunities.'

Accompanied by a delegation of British business bosses, Sir Keir will hold talks on investment and national security with president Xi Jinping and premier Li Qiang on Thursday.

It comes just a week after the Prime Minister was branded 'Kowtow Keir' for allowing China to build a mega-embassy in London, despite fears it will become a base for espionage and the repression of dissidents.

And on Monday it was claimed that Chinese spies had hacked the mobile phones of senior officials in Downing Street for several years.

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Sir Keir is under pressure to raise human rights concerns with the leaders of the Communist superpower, including the plight of jailed British citizen and democracy activist Jimmy Lai. 

Another matter likely to be high on his agenda is ensuring Chinese company Jingye pays for decommissioning a Scunthorpe steelworks which the UK now controls.

Before embarking on his trip last night, No 10 claimed the Prime Minister was 'clear-eyed and realistic' about the challenges posed by China, as well as the opportunities.

Sir Keir added: 'For years, our approach to China has been dogged by inconsistency - blowing hot and cold, from Golden Age to Ice Age. But, like it or not, China matters for the UK.

'As one of the world's biggest economic players, a strategic and consistent relationship with them is firmly in our national interest.

'That does not mean turning a blind eye to the challenges they pose, but engaging even where we disagree.'

After the political talks, the delegation will travel to Shanghai for meetings with British and Chinese businesses. This will be followed by a final stop in Tokyo where Sir Keir will meet Japan's first female prime minister, Sanae Takaichi.

Meanwhile, in an interview on the eve of the trip, Sir Keir insisted he could pursue a better trading relationship with China without upsetting Donald Trump.

He told Bloomberg: 'I'm often invited to simply choose between countries. I don't do that.'