Keir Starmer, the UK Prime Minister, arrived in Beijing on Wednesday for a visit aimed at improving economic relations with China, while also addressing critical issues such as human rights. This marks the first trip to China by a UK leader in eight years, according to The Guardian.
During the trip, Starmer vowed to raise issues "that need to be raised" with Chinese President Xi Jinping, including human rights abuses in China, Downing Street said. The Prime Minister may also discuss the fate of Uyghurs with the Chinese leader. One specific case Starmer intends to address is that of Jimmy Lai, according to The Guardian.
Heightened security measures were in place for the UK delegation, a standard practice for such visits. Members of Starmer's team were issued burner phones and were taking precautions against potential espionage, The Guardian reported. Such security concerns are not new; Theresa May was previously advised to get dressed under a duvet during a visit to China. The Guardian noted that a "quiet game of cat and mouse" typically occurs between countries as they assess each other's capabilities.
On the flight to Beijing, Starmer addressed another international matter: US intelligence agencies' disagreement with Donald Trump's opposition to the Chagos deal. Starmer underlined that the US administration had previously supported the deal as it bolstered their defenses, potentially undermining Trump's recent view of the deal as an act of "great stupidity," according to The Guardian. Downing Street sources indicated that the agreement is a "done deal" and would not be scuppered by the US president's change of heart.
In other international news, Kim Keon Hee, the wife of South Korea's ousted president Yoon Suk Yeol, was sentenced to 20 months in prison for corruption, The Guardian reported. Kim had been in jail since August after a Seoul court approved a warrant for her arrest, citing the risk she could destroy evidence. Her husband, Yoon Suk Yeol, awaits a verdict on a rebellion charge that could result in the death penalty or life imprisonment.
Meanwhile, in Iraq, protesters in Baghdad burned photos of Donald Trump in response to his threats regarding the potential return of Nouri al-Maliki to the premiership, Al Jazeera reported. The protesters waved the Iraqi flag, rejecting the US president's demands.
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