A Cabinet minister defended Sir Keir Starmer’s decision to hold face-to-face talks with Xi Jinping, insisting it was “right” to meet the Chinese president because his country is a “major player”. 

Bridget Phillipson, the Education Secretary, said the UK will engage with Beijing on a “pragmatic basis” but she expected there to be “areas of profound disagreement”. 

Sir Keir will meet with president Xi today as they both attend a G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He will be the first British prime minister to meet the Chinese premier since Theresa May in 2018. 

Sir Keir said as he travelled to Brazil that he intended to have “serious pragmatic discussions” with his opposite number. 

Asked what that actually meant, Ms Phillipson told Sky News this morning: “China is a major player both in terms of the economy but also in the security council so it is right that we have that engagement but that we do so on a pragmatic basis where we go into it with our eyes wide open. 

“That does mean there will be challenge, constructive challenge, and there will be areas of profound disagreement.” 

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