Xi praises Starmer for 'fixing' UK economy in meeting at G20 in Rio

The Chinese president has heaped praise on Keir Starmer's economic policy, as the prime minister used their first meeting to raise concerns about sanctions on MPs and the treatment of the pro-democracy campaigner Jimmy Lai.

- Jessica Elgot Rio de Janeiro Patrick Wintour

In a meeting at the G20 summit in Rio, the first between the UK and China's leaders in six years, Starmer said he would be keen to host a full bilateral meeting with Xi Jinping and China's premier, Li Qiang, in Beijing or London as soon as possible, aimed at turning the page on frosty UK-China relations.

But the prime minister also raised human rights concerns with the Chinese president about sanctions on British Conservative MPs and the deterioration of Lai, a British citizen and Hong Kong democracy activist.

Starmer promised a "strong UK-China relationship" and said the pair had agreed there should be no more "surprises" between the two countries. Chinese officials bundled British journalists out of the meeting when Starmer raised the plight of Lai, who is being held in Hong Kong.

In a marked change of tone from previous years, Xi said Starmer was "fixing the foundations" of the UK economy, echoing the prime minister's own slogan. He said the pair would "break new ground" in the relationship.