U.K.-China summit scheduled for the first time in six years..."Building Practical Relationships"

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will hold a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the occasion of the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The British prime minister's office said in a statement on Wednesday local time that it seeks serious, stable and pragmatic relations with China based on Britain's national interests and that close cooperation with major economies is essential to attracting investment and creating jobs to boost growth.

The UK-China summit is the first in six years and eight months since February 2018, when Prime Minister Theresa May was in office.

The two countries have maintained strained relations over the past few years over conflicts over China's Hong Kong national security law and alleged Chinese cyberattacks on British public agencies.

Since the launch of the Starmer-led Labor government in July, it has been seeking to improve relations with China by promoting high-level exchanges.

British media, however, note that the Labour government could face criticism for putting economic issues ahead of human rights or national security.