UK politics: Starmer accused of ‘sycophantic’ tone towards Chinese as Yang Tengbo denies being a spy – as it happened

Shadow home secretary calls for a rethink in relations with Beijing but Labour highlights events during Cameron’s premiership

Asked again about China, Starmer says:

Our approach is the approach I’ve just set out.

It’s important to engage. Of course, we have to challenge where we must, but it’s better to engage, to challenge, than to stay aside, as it were, important to cooperate where we can on issues like climate change, which need that cooperation.

Of course, we are concerned about the challenge that China poses.

As you know, I had a meeting with the [Chinese] president just a few weeks ago. Our approach is one of engagement, of cooperating where we need to cooperate, particularly for example on issues like climate change, to challenge where we must and where we should, particularly on issues like human rights, and to compete when it comes to trade.

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