Keir Starmer, the UK Prime Minister, plans to establish a 'pragmatic and serious relationship' with China as he becomes the first British leader in six years to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

The meeting will take place on Monday at the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro.

Starmer, along with Chancellor Rachel Reeves, advocates for improving trade relations with China, the world's second-largest economy, as essential for the UK's growth ambitions.

However, this move faces skepticism from human rights groups and certain Conservative MPs due to China's sanctions and human rights record.

Prominent critics, Tom Tugendhat and Alicia Kearns, urge Starmer to address issues such as the trial of Jimmy Lai, a UK citizen and media owner detained in Hong Kong, during his talks with Xi.

The meeting follows a cooling of UK-China relations since Theresa May's visit to Beijing in 2018.

Issues like cyber threats, human rights in Hong Kong, and sanctions against British MPs have strained ties.

Past attempts to renew relations, such as Rishi Sunak's planned G20 meeting, were thwarted by geopolitical developments.

Starmer emphasized the economic necessity of engagement with China, highlighting shared roles in the G20 and the UN Security Council.

He advocates for honest dialogue on disagreements while co-operating on areas like climate and global stability.

The foreign secretary, David Lammy, has already signaled a new approach with his recent visit to China, and Reeves is scheduled to visit Beijing in January.

Starmer's trip to the G20 is his first visit to Brazil as Prime Minister, emphasizing its importance for creating economic ties with Latin American countries.

The summit's agenda includes topics like climate crisis and global taxation, where diverse views among leaders are expected to limit consensus.

Starmer addressed concerns about his time abroad, defending his international engagement as vital for boosting the UK economy with inward investments from leading world economies.