U.K.-China summit after 6 years...Starmer raises human rights issue

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

Starmer and Xi agreed at the talks to work together to strengthen bilateral ties, but at the same time, Starmer also raised human rights issues, saying he was concerned about reports of Jimmy Lai's deteriorating health in prison.

Jimmy Lai, a British citizen, is the owner of Hong Kong's Vienna Daily, which was forced to close on charges of violating Hong Kong's national security law, and has been in custody since 2020.

Mr. Starmer's remarks prompted Chinese officials to stand up and force British journalists out of the talks, Bloomberg said.

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

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.

Ahead of the talks, Britain's prime minister's office said it seeks a stable and pragmatic relationship with China based on national interests and that close cooperation with the world's major economies is essential to attracting investment and creating jobs to boost growth.