Labour accused of ‘a naïve attempt to suck up to China’ as David Lammy arrives in Beijing amid claims ministers have gone soft over Uyghur ‘genocide’_Nhy
Labour was accused of ‘a naïve attempt to suck up to China’ today as foreign secretary David Lammy arrived in Beijing for talks.
The Foreign Secretary has been accused of backtracking on plans for the UK to formally recognise China‘s treatment of its Uyghur Muslim minority as genocide.
Mr Lammy took a hard line on the state-sponsored brutality when Labour was in opposition, saying the party would pursue legal routes to declaring it a genocide.
But ahead of his arrival in the Far East this morning No10 refused to confirm this was still the case.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said the government would ‘challenge’ China on issues like human rights, but declined to repeat the Foreign Secretary’s pre-election language.
Shadow Foreign Affairs Minister Alicia Kearns told the Mail: ‘Labour swore they’d declare a genocide and take it to legal courts internationally for a determination. So it’s two things they’re backtracking on.’
And colleague Neil O’Brien, one of the MPs officially sanctioned by China, added: [The government is] embarking on a naïve attempt to suck up to China in which our own industrial interests will get trampled as we pursue an illusory dream of a special relationship with a superpower that is hostile to us.’
Mr Lammy met Chinese vice premier Ding Xuexiang for a meeting in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing this morning.
The Foreign Secretary has been accused of backtracking on plans for the UK to formally recognise China ‘s treatment of its Uyghur Muslim minority as genocide .
Mr Lammy took a hard line on the state-sponsored brutality when Labour was in opposition, saying the party would pursue legal routes to declaring it a genocide.
Mr Lammy met Chinese vice premier Ding Xuexiang for a meeting in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing this morning.
They are due to discuss issues ranging from climate and trade to foreign policy matters including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The Foreign Office said he would also hold talks with British businesses in Shanghai on Saturday to discuss ‘how our economic links with China support growth in the UK’.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman last night said the government would ‘challenge’ China on issues like human rights, but declined to repeat the Foreign Secretary’s pre-election language.
Officials say Mr Lammy will raise concerns around human rights, British MPs who remain sanctioned, and China’s deepening ties with Russia over Ukraine.
But the apparent softening of the government’s position towards China’s treatment of the Uyghurs sparked fury.
Officials say Mr Lammy will raise concerns around human rights including Uyghurs being rounded up into camps (pictured) , British MPs who remain sanctioned, and China’s deepening ties with Russia over Ukraine.
China held large-scale military exercises surrounding Taiwan and its outlying islands earlier this week, which Sir Keir described as ‘not conducive to peace and stability’.
Speaking before travelling to the country, Mr Lammy said it was important to speak ‘candidly’ about ‘both areas of contention as well as areas for co-operation in the UK’s national interest’.
‘As permanent members of the UN Security Council with major global economies, the UK and China are global players. Our relationship matters,’ he said.
‘Engagement with China is pragmatic and necessary to support UK and global interests.
‘From stopping Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, to supporting a global green transition, we must speak often and candidly across both areas of contention as well as areas for co-operation in the UK’s national interest.’
The Foreign Office said engagement with Beijing is ‘vital’ due to its position as a rising global power and said the visit would kickstart a ‘stable, consistent and pragmatic approach to China’.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has outlined the Government’s approach as ‘co-operate where we can’, ‘compete where we have different interests’ and ‘challenge… where it is needed’.
China held large-scale military exercises surrounding Taiwan and its outlying islands earlier this week, which Sir Keir described as ‘not conducive to peace and stability’.
At Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, he said: ‘Stability in the Taiwan Strait is in all of our interests.’
Setting out his wider approach to China, Sir Keir said: ‘We will co-operate where we can as permanent members of the UN Security Council, on issues such as net zero and health and trade.
‘Compete where we have different interests, and challenge… where it is needed to protect national security, human rights and our values. We will put that challenge in.’
In a press release ahead of the visit, the Foreign Office said: ‘UK diplomatic efforts with China will be one of serious, stable and pragmatic re-engagement across the full spectrum of government, prioritising the UK’s national interests.
‘This will come with a firm recognition that the UK and China will not, and do not, always agree.
‘We have significant differences including on democratic values and freedoms, Hong Kong and support for Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine; but we also have shared interests, including a global green energy transition, and deep economic links, with China including Hong Kong the UK’s fourth largest trading partner.’
