China is reportedly considering lifting the sanctions imposed in 2021 on nine UK parliamentarians—a sign of a potential thaw in relations between London and Beijing as diplomatic engagement intensifies.
Sanctions Under Review
China’s government is “considering lifting” the travel bans and asset restrictions it placed on UK MPs, Lords, academics, and human rights lawyers in retaliation to UK sanctions over the Xinjiang Uyghur issue. The sanctions, targeting figures such as Iain Duncan Smith, Tom Tugendhat, and Lord Alton, barred entry to China, Hong Kong, and Macau, and froze any Chinese-held assets.
Diplomatic Exchange Fuels Momentum
The reconsideration follows recent high-level visits by Chinese leaders—Vice‑Premier He Lifeng, Commerce Minister Wang Wentao, and CCP international department head Liu Jianchao—to London. Their meetings, held with Chancellor Rachel Reeves, Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds, Foreign Secretary David Lammy, and national security adviser Jonathan Powell, emphasized a “positive momentum” in bilateral relations.
Strategic Context and Mutual Benefit
In April, China lifted similar sanctions on European MPs, signaling its wider diplomatic recalibration. Beijing has framed the review as aligning with principles of “equality, mutual benefit, and meeting each other halfway”—elements the foreign ministry stressed at a routine briefing.
Prospects for Bilateral Ties
Although no trade deal is in the offing, pressures are increasing in the UK to greenlight a proposed Chinese “super-embassy” near the Tower of London, a move that some critics warn could pose security risks. Plans are also underway for UK business and political visits to China later this year—including possible trips by Jonathan Reynolds and PM Keir Starmer.
Human Rights Vs. Economic Engagement
While the UK government has not lifted its own Xinjiang-related sanctions, the Labour administration has notably downplayed public criticism of China’s human rights record in favor of pursuing “economic cooperation.” This pivot has drawn criticism from figures like Iain Duncan Smith and the Inter‑Parliamentary Alliance on China.
What Comes Next
- Scope of sanction removal: It remains undetermined whether all nine individuals will be cleared or only select figures.
- Diplomatic developments: Further dialogue, including a decision on the embassy proposal, is expected this summer.
- Continued engagement: The UK’s negotiating team is preparing for upcoming trade and economic discussions with China, signaling readiness to deepen ties.
This proposed lifting of sanctions offers a milestone in China‑UK relations—highlighting a pragmatic diplomatic shift, yet raising complex questions about balancing human rights concerns with economic opportunity.
