Britain is making a “tragic mistake” by crawling back to China on its knees, Sir Keir Starmer has been warned.

The Prime Minister refused to condemn Beijing over the treatment of pro-democracy campaigners in Hong Kong. Dozens were sentenced to up to 10 years in prison on Tuesday, sparking international outrage.

Former Tory leader and China hawk Sir Iain Duncan Smith said: “I worry that behind closed doors an arrangement has been made where the UK Government observes Xi’s red lines - Human Rights and democracy, Taiwan, China's path and system and right to development - allowing for no challenge or opposition, and we get commercial ties in return.

“It appears we are returning to the failed ‘Golden Era’ project but this time we do so on our knees and it's clear we have moved from Human Rights abuses to the opaque reference of "differences".

“A tragic mistake. A once great country sells its soul for a dubious mess of pottage - what a shameful place to be as all those who looked to us to us for help will see how we are abandoning them.”

Asked to condemn the imprisonments, Sir Keir said: “Where we have differences we have a frank discussion about them as we did yesterday about Hong Kong,” the prime minister said on Tuesday.

“What we must not do is lose the opportunity for our economy with a better partnership on when it comes to co-operating on economic and trade matters. We want that closer economic partnership, China is the second-biggest economy in the world.“

“What we must not do is lose the opportunity for our economy with a better partnership on when it comes to co-operating on economic and trade matters. We want that closer economic partnership, China is the second-biggest economy in the world.”

Sir Keir Starmer met President Xi on Monday, becoming the first UK leader to meet the Chinese premier since 2018.

Sir Keir’s allies say he has made a strategic decision that Britain cannot afford to have a fractious relationship with one of its biggest trading partners.

Fostering closer ties with Beijing is expected to be part of the Prime Minister’s bids to boost economic growth.