UK says China lifts sanctions on British lawmakers after Starmer–Xi meeting

Beijing has lifted sanctions on British peers and lawmakers, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has said, following his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

“This has been a cause of concern in parliament and for parliamentarians for some time and that is why I raised it on this visit,” Starmer told ITV News in Shanghai.

“And the response from the Chinese is that the restrictions no longer apply and President Xi has told me that that means that all parliamentarians are welcome to visit,” he added.

The sanctions had been in place since 2021 and were implemented in response to British sanctions on some Chinese officials and organisations over their alleged roles in human rights violations in Xinjiang.

China’s Foreign Ministry appeared to confirm the move at a daily press conference in Beijing on Friday.

A worker sets up a British national flag next to the Chinese national flag ahead of the visit of UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Beijing on Wednesday. Photo: AP

“Both sides agreed to strengthen people-to-people exchanges and facilitate personnel exchanges to deepen understanding and enhance mutual trust, and agreed in principle to resume normal exchanges between the two countries’ legislative bodies,” spokesman Guo Jiakun said.

South China Morning Post