China thaw hope as sanctions against six UK politicians lifted

But PM accused of ‘kowtowing’ to Beijing

- BY MARTYN BROWN Political Editor in Shanghai

CHINA has lifted sanctions on six British politicians, sparking hope that relations between the two countries are thawing.

Sir Keir Starmer said a travel ban and other sanctions “no longer apply” to four Conservative MPs and two members of the House of Lords.

But the politicians affected, including former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith, said that the announcement sent a “damaging signal” because restrictions remain in place for other campaigners.

They said they did not want to be “used as a bargaining chip”, and insisted they would not stop speaking out against human rights abuses, including the alleged targeting of the Uyghur minority in China’s Xinjiang province.