Sir Keir Starmer has said he wants a “serious relationship” with China ahead of his first face-to-face talks with Xi Jinping on Monday.

The Prime Minister and the Chinese premier will hold talks in Brazil amid growing concern over Beijing’s actions on the international stage.

They will meet on the sidelines of the G20 summit, in Rio de Janeiro, at which Britain is hoping to secure new commitments on global free trade.

It will be the first meeting between a British prime minister and China’s leader since Theresa May travelled to Beijing in 2018.