Badenoch criticises Starmer for ‘giving China everything they want for nothing in return’
Sir Keir Starmer has “given China everything they want” for “absolutely nothing in return”, Kemi Badenoch said.
The Tory leader also cast doubt on the move to lift sanctions on UK MPs and peers, suggesting that the Chinese government had done so to allow for Xi Jinping to visit Parliament and could reimpose them afterwards.
On a visit to the Welsh Senedd, she said: “Starmer’s visit to China was not in our national interest. He has gone there pretty much with a begging bowl, got pretty much nothing back.
“This is a country that even our security services have said is a threat to us. Of course, we trade with China, but what he has done has, in my view, weakened the UK in the eyes of China, and it was wrong for him to go.
“The US is our closest military ally and a key strategic partner. They are not a threat to the UK national security. China is who the threat to national security is, and we need to be very clear about that and not start getting confused.
“The president of the United States is one individual. Our relationship is with the country.
“What we’re seeing with Labour is an economic policy wholly dependent on China – wind turbines from China, solar panels from China, batteries for electric vehicles from China, while deindustrialising our own country.
“I think that’s completely wrong.”
Bryony Gooch30 January 2026 15:00
Watch: China visa for UK holidaymakers could be dropped as early as MondayChina visa for UK holidaymakers could be dropped as early as Monday
Bryony Gooch30 January 2026 14:40
Ed Davey calls out Trump ‘hypocrisy’ over China
Sir Ed Davey has decried Donald Trump’s warning that UK dealing with China could be “dangerous”, branding the US president “the most dangerous person at the moment”.
Asked whether he agreed with Donald Trump’s remarks, the Liberal Democrat leader said: “Donald Trump is a hypocrite because he’s going to China himself and he’s the most dangerous person at the moment with undermining Nato and undermining trade across the world. But it’s the Conservatives also who have got a real question to answer.
“They don’t want us to talk to China, they don’t want to do trade with Europe and now they realise that Trump’s America can’t be trusted because of the tariffs.
“I thought the Conservatives were for global Britain, they clearly aren’t. They don’t want to talk to anybody.”
Bryony Gooch30 January 2026 14:20
Recap: MPs call on Starmer to raise Jimmy Lai
Sir Keir Starmer has faced calls to raise the jailing of Hong Kong pro-democracy campaigner Jimmy Lai and the treatment of the Uighur minority with the Chinese leadership.
He said they had a “respectful discussion” on those issues, but both he and Downing Street refused to be drawn on details of discussions on contentious issues.
According to his son, 78-year-old British national Mr Lai has spent five years in solitary confinement in treatment which amounts to “torture” under Hong Kong’s new national security law.
The Tories have accused Sir Keir of “kowtowing” to Mr Xi, while the Liberal Democrats said the Government was approaching China from a “weak” position because of the lack of a UK-EU customs union.
Starmerchinapremium (AFP/Getty)
Bryony Gooch30 January 2026 14:00
Starmer brushes off Trump criticism, says he’s talking more about Canada
Sir Keir Starmer has brushed off comments by Donald Trump warning it was “dangerous” for the UK to do business with China, saying the president was “talking more about Canada”.
Mr Trump expressed disapproval of the Prime Minister’s trip to China in remarks to reporters early on Friday.
“Well, it’s very dangerous for them to do that, and it’s even more dangerous, I think, for Canada to get into business with China,” he said.
He added that Canada was doing “poorly” and said “you can’t look at China as the answer”.
But in broadcast interviews in Shanghai, Sir Keir said his visit had been “very successful”.
He told Sky News: “I’ve seen President Trump’s comments.
“I think, to be fair, he was probably talking more about Canada than the United Kingdom.”
Adding that the US and UK remained “very close allies”, he said his visit to China had been discussed with Mr Trump’s team beforehand and pointed to the president’s upcoming visit to the country in April.
Bryony Gooch30 January 2026 13:40
Sanctioned parliamentarians ‘take no comfort’ in decision as Jimmy Lai and Uyghur people suffer
The group of sanctioned parliamentarians said: “While British citizen Jimmy Lai remains imprisoned and Uyghurs continue to suffer atrocity crimes, we take no comfort in this decision and will not be silenced.
“We look forward to receiving urgent assurances from the government regarding those who were placed under sanction together with us, and take this opportunity to express our ongoing solidarity with the Uyghur people, whose cause we will not drop.
“We hope that the Prime Minister will meet all of those sanctioned, not just sitting parliamentarians, upon his return.”
Conservative MP Sir Iain Duncan Smith was one of the speakers (Lucy North/PA) (PA Wire)
Bryony Gooch30 January 2026 13:20
Ed Davey: Government approaching China from ‘weak’ position because of Brexit
Sir Ed Davey said the UK Government is approaching China from a “weak” position because of the lack of a British-EU customs union.
Asked whether he would welcome a visit from Xi Jinping to the UK, he said: “The Liberal Democrats believe we do need to talk to China, absolutely, but we also need to do that from a position of strength, which is where the current Labour Government is going wrong.
“If we had a new trading relationship with Europe, a customs union as the Liberal Democrats have argued, we’d be able talk to China about improving our economic relations but also to call China out for its human rights abuses – what it does to Hong Kongers, to the illegal detention of Jimmy Lai.
“These are the sorts of issues we should be raising, but I’m afraid this Government is so weak because it hasn’t got a European deal.”
(PA)
Bryony Gooch30 January 2026 13:00
Trump was aware of UK objectives in china, officials say
Political reporter Athena Stavrou reports:
Donald Trump was aware of Sir Keir Starmer’s trip and objectives in China ahead of his visit, UK officials have insisted.
The US president said early on Friday that it would be “dangerous” for the UK to do business with China, as the prime minister continues his efforts to bolster economic ties.
After the comments were made, UK officials insisted Trump was aware of the trip. It was also highlighted that the US president is planning his own trip to China in April.
Bryony Gooch30 January 2026 12:45
Who is Jimmy Lai? British citizen and activist imprisoned by China
Bryony Gooch30 January 2026 12:30
Britain will not be lifting sanctions on Chinese officials in exchange
It is understood that Britain will not be lifting restrictions in exchange as Sir Keir Starmer revealed that sanctions had been lifted on MPs and peers.
The UK imposed sanctions on four Chinese officials and a state-run organisation involved in human rights abuses in Xinjiang province, including against the Uighur Muslim minority.
The Chinese foreign ministry said: “The two sides agreed in principle to resume normal exchanges between the legislatures of the two countries.
“China welcomes British parliamentarians who have the willingness to visit China more and experience the real China.”
Bryony Gooch30 January 2026 12:15