British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has told Chinese President Xi Jinping that Hong Kong’s prosperity and stability are in the shared interests of both China and the United Kingdom in a high-profile meeting during his four-day trip to Beijing.
Starmer, the first British leader to visit China since 2018, confirmed after the meeting, when asked by the media, that he had mentioned the landmark national security case of jailed former media boss Jimmy Lai Chee-ying with Xi.
According to the state news agency Xinhua, Starmer commended Hong Kong’s role in Sino-British relations during the 80-minute meeting.
“Hong Kong’s prosperity and stability are in the common interests of both countries,” Starmer said. “The UK welcomes Hong Kong as a unique and important bridge between the UK and China.”
However, the report did not state that the British leader had brought up Lai’s case or human rights issues.
Speaking to the media after the meeting, Starmer confirmed that he had raised Lai’s national security trial with Xi, in which the founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily tabloid was convicted and could face life imprisonment.
