A recap of Xi and Starmer’s last meeting in 2024published at 02:53 GMT
Ian Tang
BBC Monitoring
As we await the outcome of the talks between the two leaders, here’s a recap of their last meeting in November
2024 on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Brazil.
Xi told Starmer then that
despite “differences in history, culture, values, ideas and social
systems”, their two countries “share extensive common interests”, according to China’s Xinhua News Agency.
China and Britain
enjoy “vast space for cooperation” in trade and investment, clean
energy, financial services, medical care and livelihood, Xi added.
Starmer called on Beijing to “engage honestly and frankly” in areas including Hong Kong,
human rights and Russia’s war in Ukraine.
He also voiced concerns over
the deteriorating health of jailed Hong Kong former media mogul Jimmy Lai. The 76-year-old British citizen has since been convicted of colluding with foreign forces under the Beijing-imposed national security law.
China ommitted Starmer’s above comments from its official readout issued after the meeting.
Starmer said during his flight to Beijing on Wedesday that he
will “raise issues that need to be raised”, but we can expect Beijing to downplay or leave out the contentious issues in its recap of today’s meeting.
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