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Yvette Cooper has claimed security fears over Labour's relationship with China are just "cancel culture" - while using a burner phone in the country amid the threat of spying. Ms Cooper is embarking on a three-day visit to China, but despite various pledges to warm Anglo-Chinese relations, the Foreign Office team are travelling with "burner" phones throughout the trip. Now, critics have accused the Government of "appeasing" the world's second-largest economy on its visit. The Liberal Democrats have accused the Foreign Secretary of "brushing aside vital human rights issues" on her visit to the Far East. TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say The party has pointed to the plight of critic Jimmy Lai, a British national who has been imprisoned in Hong Kong by its Chinese-controlled Government since 2020. But the Foreign Secretary dismissed concerns as "foreign policy cancel culture" which was damaging Britain's international relationships. The Liberal Democrats' foreign affairs spokesman Calum Miller said it was "deeply concerning" to see the Foreign Secretary "brush aside vital human rights issues as mere 'foreign policy cancel culture'". "Standing up for British citizens, international law, and fundamental democratic values is the very definition of a principled and robust foreign policy," he added. "While engagement with major global economies is necessary, a robust relationship requires honesty and challenge from both sides. This Labour Government appears to be focused only on appeasing China. There needs to be consequences, not just quiet words, when China abuses British passport holders and harms our national interest." Reform UK and the Conservatives have both backed a hard-line approach to engagement with China - but Ms Cooper accused both of overlooking "what a significant power it is in the world". She raged: "You have the Liberal Democrats saying we shouldn’t send the King to the US on a State Visit; you have the Greens criticising our engagement with India and also saying we shouldn’t be engaging with the US administration. "It does feel like there has become a kind of foreign policy cancel culture which is really damaging to the UK, to a sensible approach to UK foreign policy." LATEST ON CHINA: Donald Trump demands veto powers over Chinese or Russian investment in Greenland China and US should be 'partners, not rivals', Xi Jinping tells Donald Trump China changes Marco Rubio's NAME to avert diplomatic crisis during US visit to Beijing Mr Lai has been a British citizen since 1994 and was sentenced to 20 years in China for undermining China's national security, after he published newspapers critical of the CCP. Ms Cooper told reporters she had raised the case of the detained pro-freedom campaigner to CCP officials, but did not go into any detail when asked if progress had been made on the issue. Her American counterpart Marco Rubio did the same just weeks ago - but China's tactic is simply to reject any "foreign intervention" in his case. Ms Cooper also brought up China's relationship with Russia - Beijing has propped up Moscow and supported its invasion of Ukraine. She told reporters: "We've certainly discussed the importance of putting pressure on Russia, now, in order to bring them to the table, to peace negotiations." But when pressed on the issue, she admitted it was an issue "where the UK and China have had disagreements". Last month, Xi Jinping held a state visit with Vladimir Putin - where the two leaders called for a "multi-polar world order". Ms Cooper also posed for cameras as she made a visit to China's Forbidden City and was shown around by a tour guide. She will fly to Shenzhen in order to discuss potential trade links and also the "the challenges of the future of AI as it rapidly changes our world". The Foreign Secretary will next travel to Delhi to meet with Indian counterpart Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, with bilateral talks expected to include discussion on the Middle East. The Conservatives have accused Ms Cooper of "cosying up to the CCP", adding that the Foreign Secretary's visit was a diversion from wider issues. Shadow Foreign Secretary Dame Priti Patel said: "As if Keir Starmer’s surrender tour earlier this year wasn’t enough, his Foreign Secretary is now in Beijing cosying up to the CCP too. "This is little more than a distraction from the scandal engulfing the Government - which involves Mandelson’s links to China as well as to a convicted paedophile - and the civil war raging at the top of the Labour Party. "Cooper should be pushing for the release of Jimmy Lai but Labour lack the backbone to stand up to China. Only the Conservatives will put our country first." Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter
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