Honest talks needed, Sir Keir Starmer tells China’s Xi Jinping

In a statement, it added: “China is committed to building a great country and achieving national rejuvenation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernisation, and follows a path of peaceful development.

“It is hoped that the UK will view China in an objective and rational manner.”

Foreign Secretary David Lammy met Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on the sidelines of an Association of Southeast Asian Nations gathering in Laos last month.

He urged China to stop its companies supporting Russia’s war effort, and stressed the UK’s “ironclad” commitment to backing Ukraine.

Sir Keir’s conversation with Mr Xi comes amid a period of strained relations between London and Beijing over espionage allegations and China’s tightening control over former UK colony Hong Kong.

However, the two countries remain major trading partners as well as permanent members of the UN Security Council.

China was Britain’s fifth largest trading partner in 2023, according to UK statistics, but diplomatic relations were icy under former PM Rishi Sunak.

Soon after taking office in October 2022, Mr Sunak declared an end to the so-called “golden era” of UK-China relations trumpeted by former Prime Minister David Cameron.

He also described China as a “systemic challenge” to UK values.

In 2021, China imposed sanctions on nine UK citizens, including five Conservative MPs.

In 2023, the UK Parliament banned TikTok, the Chinese-owned social media app, from being accessed on its wi-fi over security concerns. TikTok has denied claims it passes on users’ data to the Chinese government.

In April, UK police charged two men under the Official Secrets Act with spying for China.