On November 18, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is scheduled to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping during the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro. This meeting marks Starmer's first in-person encounter with Xi since taking office in July, and it is the first meeting between a British prime minister and Xi since 2018.
Starmer's office stated that he intends to advocate for a pragmatic engagement between Britain and China, focusing on cooperation in areas such as international stability, climate change, and economic growth. However, he emphasized the importance of addressing disagreements candidly.
In August, Starmer and Xi spoke via phone, where Starmer expressed the need for open dialogue regarding their differences while strengthening economic relations. In response, Xi expressed hope that Britain would approach China with an objective and rational perspective. Starmer's government has announced plans to conduct an audit of the UK-China relationship to better understand the challenges and opportunities presented by Beijing.