Sir Keir Starmer has been criticised for meeting China’s president Xi Jinping just hours before 45 Hong Kong pro-democracy activists were sentenced for attempting to field opposition candidates in an election.

During the meeting with President Xi, he offered a full UK-China meeting either in London or Beijing. The Chancellor Rachel Reeves will travel to China in the spring. For his part, Mr Xi said there was “broad space” for both countries to co-operate on trade and investment, clean energy and health care.