G20 leaders are currently gathering in Brazil, a summit that is being dominated by differences over wars in the Middle East and Ukraine, as well as implications of Donald Trump's White House return.
However, it was British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his Chinese Counterpart Xi Jinping who took over the headlines on Monday as the Premier took the opportunity to express his country's concerns over the plight of a jailed newspaper publisher in Hong Kong, comments that prompted Chinese officials to remove British media out of the meeting. The moment was captured by press cameras, which were then escorted out of the room:
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer confronted China's Xi Jinping about alleged human rights violations during a meeting at the Group of 20 summit in Brazil.
— Bloomberg TV (@BloombergTV) November 18, 2024
Chinese officials quickly interrupted and ordered British journalists out of the room https://t.co/60QnnWLj8g pic.twitter.com/qCdFRq7HYp
Xi was the first one to speak in the meeting the two leaders and their officials. He hailed the "broad space for cooperation" between the two nations, including on trade, investment, clean energy and financial services. Starmer responded with some pleasantries:
"A strong UK-China relationship is important for both of our countries and for the broader international community. The UK will be a predictable, consistent, sovereign actor committed to the rule of law"
It was at that point that his comments shifted towards human rights, specifically relating to Jimmy Lai, a Hong Kong democracy activist founder of one of the finance hub's most popular tabloids who is charged with security crimes:
"I'm very pleased that my foreign secretary and Foreign Minister Wang met recently and discussed respective concerns including human rights and parliamentary sanctions, Taiwan, the South China Sea and our and our shared interest in Hong Kong. We are concerned by reports of Jimmy Lai's deteriorating health in prison."
As The Financial Post explains, the situation is particularly sensitive given the UK's role as the territory's former colonial power and the fact that Britain says security legislation in Hong Kong breaches the handover agreement that saw the city return to Chinese rule in 1997.
The UK's Labour government, under Starmer, is pursuing a pragmatic approach to China, seeking economic growth and investment opportunities despite the challenges posed by human rights concerns and geopolitical tensions, as The Guardian explains. While the UK has been critical of China's support for Russia in the Ukraine war and its domestic policies, Starmer's administration is keen to re-establish dialogue and explore economic partnerships, especially given the economic slowdown in the UK.
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