Shi Jixian China Visit: UK Leaders Discuss Human Rights in Beijing
- At the beginning of the meeting on Thursday (January 29), Xi Jinping said that the Labor government has made important contributions to the development of Sino-British relations and...
- Shi Jixian said in his opening remarks that this was the first visit to China by a British Prime Minister "after a long absence".
- The opposition conservative party and some civil organizations urged the Prime Minister to raise human rights issues in Hong Kong, Xinjiang and other places with Xi Jinping in...
British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who is visiting China, met with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the Peopel in Beijing. This is the first time that the heads of state of China and the UK have met in beijing as 2018.
At the beginning of the meeting on Thursday (January 29), Xi Jinping said that the Labor government has made important contributions to the development of Sino-British relations and that as long as the two countries “surmount differences and respect each other”, they can “deliver answers that can stand the test of history.”
Shi Jixian said in his opening remarks that this was the first visit to China by a British Prime Minister “after a long absence”. He led a large-scale business delegation to visit Beijing and Shanghai, and the two countries signed multiple bilateral cooperation agreements during high-level meetings.
The opposition conservative party and some civil organizations urged the Prime Minister to raise human rights issues in Hong Kong, Xinjiang and other places with Xi Jinping in advance. After the meeting, Shi Jixian said that he had raised issues such as the situation of imprisoned Hong Kong Next Media founder Jimmy Lai with the other party.
image source,EPA
Xi Jinping said: “Historically, the Labor government has made important contributions to the development of Sino-British relations. You publicly proposed that China is an possibility and contact with China is a must-select. I appreciate this. China is willing to develop a long-term and stable complete strategic partnership with the UK.”
“Your visit has received great attention. Good things come in many ways.As long as it is the right thing to do in the essential interests of the country and the people, leaders should move forward without hesitation.”
“We should take a long-term view. As long as we adhere to the big historical outlook,transcend differenThe meeting between the two lasted for 1 hour and 20 minutes. China’s official xinhua News AgencyTranscript of the closed-door talks was later released. Xi Jinping said that China’s cultural tradition is “harmony is valued” and the pursuit of “harmony without difference”.China an
image source,PA Media
The Xinhua news Agency report also quoted Sir Alex Shi as saying that in the current turbulent and fragile international situation, it is indeed crucial for the UK to establish a long-term and stable comprehensive strategic partnership with China in the spirit of mutual respect and mutual trust. The long-term policy pursued by the British side on the Taiwan issue has not changed and will not change.
He added that Hong Kong’s prosperity and stability are in the common interests of both countries, and the British side is happy to see Hong Kong become a unique and important bridge between Britain and China. China plays a key role in international affairs, and the UK is willing to strengthen cooperation with China on addressing global challenges such as climate change and jointly safeguard world peace and stability.
After the bilateral talks, Shi Jixian accepted collective questions from journalists accompanying the British delegation at the forbidden City in Beijing. He was asked whether he had raised human rights issues such as jimmy Lai and the situation of Uighurs in Xinjiang with Xi Jinping.
Jimmy Lai was found guilty by the court of “colluding with foreign forces to endanger national security” under China’s “Hong Kong National Security Law” in December 2025 and is awaiting sentencing.
China has been accused of committing crimes against humanity against Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang, but Beijing has strongly denied it, accusing Western governments and media of “fabricating myths.”
“We can give them the whole world, but if they don’t respond, it’s not a relationship.”
Alicia Kearns, the shadow Home Office minister for National Security and Protection of the Conservative Party, was “shocked” and “astonished” by Shih’s remarks in Beijing.
In an interview with BBC Radio 5’s Morning Show on Thursday, Cairns listed a series of tensions between China and Britain, including cyber threats and Jimmy Lai, whom she described as “wrongfully imprisoned”.”He should not go to China without preconditions, and that precondition should be that Jimmy Lai goes home with him and that sanctions on lawmakers are lifted.”
When the Conservative Party was still in power in 2021, several MPs were sanctioned by Beijing because of their stance on china.
[Image of a Chinese demonstrator outside the former Royal Mint in London holding a placard opposing the construction of china’s “super embassy”, showing Winnie the Pooh extending his arm, raising the hammer on the Communist Party emblem, touching the British soil covered with the British flag.Image source: SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images]
The British opposition parties, Hong Kong immigrants to the UK, and the Uyghur exile community are q“`html
UK Trade Deficit with China reaches £34.9 Billion
The United Kingdom’s trade deficit with China reached £34.9 billion in the year ending December 31, 2025, according to data released by the Office for National Statistics on January 29, 2026. This figure represents a 12.3% increase from the £31.1 billion deficit recorded in the previous year.
The ONS reported that UK exports to China totaled £22.8 billion in 2025, while imports from China reached £57.7 billion. This disparity highlights a growing economic imbalance between the two nations.
Several factors contribute to this widening gap. According to a report published by the House of Commons Library on January 15, 2026, increased demand for Chinese manufactured goods, particularly in the electronics and machinery sectors, has driven up imports. Together, UK exports to China have been hampered by non-tariff barriers and increased competition from other exporting nations.
The data also reveals specific commodity trends:
- Machinery and Transport Equipment: Imports of these goods from China increased by 18.7% in 2025.
- Chemicals: UK imports of chemicals from China rose by 9.2%.
- Fuels: Exports of fuels from the UK to China decreased by 5.1%.
Hu Xijin, former editor-in-chief of the Global Times, commented on the trade imbalance on the Chinese social media platform Weibo, stating that China’s economic strength allows it to maintain a favorable trade position. His post, made on January 28, 2026, garnered over 1.2 million views.
