CORRECTED-British MPs to visit China this month, sources say

A cross-party ​delegation of British lawmakers will visit China this ‌month, ​two sources familiar with preparations said, in a sign of warming ties after Beijing agreed to lift sanctions on six MPs following a January visit by Prime Minister Keir ‌Starmer. The five-day trip by 12 Labour and Conservative MPs in mid-May is organised by the Great Britain-China Centre, an organisation funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office to promote ties with China.

Reuters could not determine the full list of participating MPs or ‌details of their itinerary. The sources spoke on condition of anonymity as preparations for the visit are still under way. The ‌Centre and the Foreign Office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

A cross-party group of UK MPs last visited China in 2024, the first such trip since Beijing imposed sanctions on nine Britons in 2021, accusing them of spreading "lies and disinformation" about alleged human rights abuses in its northwestern ⁠region of ​Xinjiang. Beijing then lifted sanctions on ⁠six serving lawmakers in January after Starmer met President Xi Jinping on his China trip, which both sides hailed as a "reset" in ties.

Until then, ⁠relations had soured by tension during the coronavirus pandemic over human rights and spying accusations. However, China has retained its Xinjiang-related sanctions on two ​British academics and lawyers, as well as four organisations based in Britain.

In contrast, British lawmakers have made nine ⁠visits since 2022 to Taiwan, the democratically governed island that China claims as its own territory, although Taiwan rejects the claim. The British MPs' visit follows ⁠one ​in March by nine European lawmakers, the first in eight years after China lifted sanctions on certain MEPs in 2025.

The resumption in parliamentary exchanges marks a tentative reopening of diplomatic dialogue after years of frosty ties between China and Europe. However, ⁠issues around alleged Chinese spying and the controversial mega-embassy China plans to build in London continue to swirl.

This week, a London ⁠court held two men guilty ⁠of spying on behalf of Hong Kong and China, targeting prominent pro-democracy dissidents now based in Britain. The men, both dual Chinese and British nationals, denied the accusations, while the Chinese embassy ‌in London has ‌accused Britain of fabricating the charges against them.

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