Keir Starmer showed a bit of light-hearted deference to Xi Jinping with an unusual sporty gift ahead of their meeting in Beijing.
The PM gave the Chinese President a football that was used in last weekend’s match between Manchester United and Arsenal at the Emirates stadium.
It wasn’t just any match. The visitors managed to beat the Gunners with an 87th minute goal from Matheus Cunha, putting a dent in their hopes of winning the title.
So, the present was a gesture of humility from Starmer, a passionate Arsenal fan, to Xi, who is reportedly obsessed with Manchester United.
The Chinese leader may not appear to be a likely devotee of English football, but reports of his fondness for the Red Devils go back a while.
On his own official visit to the UK in 2015, there were fears of a diplomatic incident when his tour of Old Trafford was scrapped in favour of a look around the Etihad stadium… home of bitter rivals Manchester City.
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According to ESPN, the decision was made by ‘avid City fan’ Sir Richard Leese, who was the leader of Manchester Council at the time.
What will Starmer get out of his trip?
Pressure has mounted on Starmer to get some major deals from his China visit – and it’s not just due to the mild humiliation of the football gift.
Figures including Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch have questioned the logic behind putting on a show of friendship with the Chinese at a time when concerns about espionage dominate headlines.
In the past few months, focus has shifted from the collapsed China ‘spy’ case; an MI5 warning about recruiters in Parliament; the verdict in the trial of British citizen Jimmy Lai; and approval for the controversial embassy.
Starmer has argued he is merely a ‘British pragmatist’ who wants to forge connections with the world’s second-largest economy to give the UK a boost.
In his meeting, the PM told Xi he wanted a ‘more sophisticated’ relationship with Beijing, with the President acknowledging ‘twists and turns’ in recent years.
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On his way out, Starmer said ‘really good progress’ had been made on whisky tariffs and illegal migration – with a focus on China’s role in making parts for engines used on small boats.
He later announced British citizens will be able to travel to China visa-free for visits of less than 30 days, a move he said would help UK businesses ‘expand abroad, all while boosting growth and jobs at home’.
The PM also told reporters his team had raised the case of Jimmy Lai, a pro-democracy campaigner who is jailed in Hong Kong, and concerns over the treatment of the Uighur minority.
He said: ‘Part of the rationale for engagement is to make sure that we can both seize the opportunities that are available, which is what we’ve done, but also have a mature discussion about issues that we disagree on.’
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