A group of British Parliament members will travel to China later this month, marking the first such diplomatic visit in five years, according to sources with knowledge of the planning.
Twelve lawmakers representing both Labour and Conservative parties will embark on the five-day journey in mid-May, organized through the Great Britain-China Centre. This non-governmental organization receives funding from Britain’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office to foster diplomatic relationships with China.
The sources requested anonymity since arrangements for the visit remain in development. Reuters was unable to confirm which specific lawmakers will participate or obtain their planned schedule.
Neither the organizing center nor the Foreign Office provided immediate responses when contacted for comment.
This parliamentary visit comes as British lawmakers have traveled to Taiwan nine times since 2022. Taiwan operates as a democratic territory that China considers part of its sovereign land, though Taiwan disputes this claim.
Diplomatic tensions escalated in 2021 when China placed sanctions on nine British citizens, including former Conservative Party leader Iain Duncan Smith. Beijing accused these individuals of promoting “lies and disinformation” regarding alleged human rights violations in China’s Xinjiang region.
Relations began improving in January when President Xi Jinping met with Prime Minister Starmer during his China visit. Both nations described this meeting as a “reset” of their relationship, and Beijing subsequently removed sanctions from six active lawmakers.
Previous years saw deteriorating relations due to disagreements over pandemic response, human rights concerns, and espionage allegations.
China continues maintaining sanctions against two British academics and legal professionals, plus four Britain-based organizations, all connected to Xinjiang-related issues.
The upcoming British visit follows a March trip by nine European Parliament members, their first such journey in eight years after China removed sanctions on select European lawmakers in 2025.
These renewed parliamentary exchanges represent cautious steps toward rebuilding diplomatic communication following years of strained relationships between China and European nations.
Nevertheless, ongoing controversies persist, including allegations of Chinese espionage activities and China’s proposed large embassy construction project in London.
Earlier this week, a London court convicted two individuals of conducting espionage operations for Hong Kong and China, specifically targeting prominent democracy advocates now residing in Britain.
Both convicted men hold dual Chinese and British citizenship and maintained their innocence throughout proceedings. China’s London embassy has denounced Britain for what it calls manufactured accusations against the defendants.
