Sir Keir Starmer has said he wants a “serious relationship” with China ahead of his first face-to-face talks Xi Jinping on Monday. The Prime Minister and the Chinese premier will hold talks in Brazil against a background of growing concern over Beijing’s actions on the international stage.

Sir Keir Starmer is due to meet with President Xi Jinping at the G20 summit this week, with the government saying it wants "stable and pragmatic engagement" with China. The prime minister will say it is right to engage with China on "areas of mutual cooperation" such as international stability,

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday to attend the G20 summit and is set to have in-depth talks with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Chinese state media reported on Monday.