China has lifted sanctions on six serving British MPs and peers, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer confirmed on Friday, marking a significant step in warming relations following his talks with President Xi Jinping in Beijing.
The sanctions, imposed in 2021, targeted nine UK citizens including five Conservative MPs and two peers for highlighting human rights abuses against the Uyghur Muslim community in Xinjiang. China had described the allegations as “lies and disinformation”.
Starmer said the restrictions no longer apply, adding: “President Xi said to me that that means all parliamentarians are welcome.” However, an academic, a barrister and a former Tory MP remain sanctioned, along with possibly their families.
The affected parliamentarians said they would not stop speaking out against human rights abuses, calling the selective lifting “wrong”. They added: “We would rather remain under sanction indefinitely than have our status used as a bargaining chip.”
Starmer also opened the door to a UK visit from Xi, suggesting he would be welcome at the G20 summit hosted by Britain in 2027. The prime minister downplayed comments by US President Donald Trump, who described dealing with China as “very dangerous”.
