China Lifts Sanctions on Six UK Parliamentarians After Starmer Talks
China removed travel bans and asset freezes on six sitting UK parliamentarians after Keir Starmer's meeting with Xi Jinping on Jan. 29, 2026.
Overview
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Jan. 29, 2026 that China lifted travel bans and asset restrictions on six sitting British parliamentarians — four Conservative MPs and two peers — after his talks with President Xi Jinping.
Starmer's three-day visit to China aimed to thaw bilateral ties and produced agreements including measures to halve import duties on British whisky and cooperation on organised crime, officials confirmed.
The six affected parliamentarians said they 'take no comfort' from the selective lifting and demanded 'clear assurances that UK sanctions against the four Chinese government officials responsible for genocide remain firmly in place,' their joint statement said.
Records show nine British citizens were sanctioned by Beijing in 2021 with entry bans to China, Hong Kong and Macau and freezes on property and business ties, and some individuals such as Geoffrey Nice KC and Jo Smith Finley remain under restrictions.
Starmer said he hoped President Xi would visit the UK for the 2027 G20 summit, while Conservative critics including Kemi Badenoch and Reform UK leader Nigel Farage warned against closer ties and called for conditions such as the release of British citizen Jimmy Lai, officials and statements show.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources present the coverage neutrally: they balance government claims of "vindication" and "clear wins" with critical reactions from the sanctioned MPs, opposition leaders and human-rights advocates, and include China's denials. Reporting uses factual verbs, clear attribution of quotes, and presents competing perspectives, limiting editorial slant.