China lifts sanctions on MPs and peers in diplomatic win for Sir Keir Starmer
All Chinese sanctions on serving MPs and peers have been lifted immediately, Sir Keir Starmer has announced in a major diplomatic win for the Prime Minister.
The Labour leader said sanctions on six serving Parliamentarians will be lifted after five years.
The announcement comes after three hours of talks with President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Friday.
However, it was not clear whether others who are not MPs and peers and have been sanctioned by China will their restrictions lifted.
Sir Keir told GB News: "I know that the action taken in relation to our parliamentarians has been a real cause of concern, understandably so.
"And therefore I raised that issue whilst I was here, and the Chinese are absolutely clear in response, the restrictions no longer apply.
"President Xi said to me that that means all parliamentarians are welcome.
"And I think that shows that if you engage, you can raise the difficult issues, the issues that my parliamentary college would have expected me to raise, and therefore I can be clear, the restrictions no longer apply.
"As of now the restrictions no longer apply, and all parliamentarians are welcome to visit."
The news means travel restrictions on four sitting Conservative MPs - Nus Ghani, deputy Speaker of the House of Commons, former Conservative leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith, shadow minister Neil O'Brien and former minister Tom Tugendhat.
A further two peers - Baroness Kennedy and Lord Alton - have also had the sanctions lifted.
Number 10 was not clear whether sanctions against a fifth politician - former Tory MP Tim Loughton - have been lifted, nor other lawyers or academics affected by the original ban.
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The PM also said that Xi will be coming to the UK for the G20 meeting of world leaders which is being hosted by Starmer.
Starmer added: "In relation to President Xi coming to the UK, obviously we're hosting the G20 in 2027, China is a G20 country, and therefore I hope he'll attend."
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