Sir Keir Starmer has vowed to take “robust” action against China as NATO prepares to issue its first official rebuke to Beijing over its military support for Russia.
The prime minister, who is in Washington for the 75th anniversary of the NATO summit, said he is prepared to challenge China on human rights and security.
NATO leaders are reportedly preparing to issue the strongest statement ever condemning China's military support for Russia in Ukraine.
The Asian superpower is said to be developing an attack drone that could be used by Russia in the conflict.
A draft communiqué shows that NATO will describe China as a “decisive accomplice” in Russia’s war against Ukraine.
It details China's supply of dual-use materials, such as weapons components, equipment and raw materials that are ultimately used by Russia's defense industry.
The document says Beijing poses “systemic challenges to Euro-Atlantic security,” including through cyber activities and disinformation, but also through the development of space warfare capabilities.
Speaking about Labour's policy on China, Sir Keir said: “The approach we will take, again, is the same as we set out during the campaign, which is a collaborative approach where that is necessary, and that is the case on issues like climate change.
“But challenge where necessary, in an equal manner, and challenge vigorously.
“One of the first things we will do is to conduct the audit that we set out in our manifesto on relations with China, on relations between the UK and China. We will conduct that audit and take action accordingly.”
The prime minister pledged on Thursday morning to “support Ukraine for as long as necessary”, matching Rishi Sunak’s pledge to provide the country with £3bn a year in military aid.
In addition, the UK-managed International Fund for Ukraine will place a new order, worth £300 million, for 120,000 rounds of Soviet-era 152mm ammunition to bolster Ukraine's defences against Russia.
The UK will deliver a new package of artillery and 90 Brimstone missiles in the coming weeks and contribute £40 million to help Ukraine protect itself from drones and mines.
Sir Keir is expected to tell NATO leaders: “NATO was founded by the generation that defeated fascism. They understood not only the value of our strength, but also the power of our values.
“Those values are under attack again. Putin needs to hear a clear message coming from this summit – a message of unity and determination, that we will support Ukraine no matter what the cost, as long as it takes to uphold our shared values and our shared security.”
During a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday, Sir Keir said the country's path to NATO membership is “irreversible”.
And Sir Keir described this week's Russian attack on a children's hospital in Kiev as “appalling” and said the depraved acts would only strengthen the international community's resolve to support Ukraine.
He told Mr Zelensky that there had been a “change of government, but no change in position. I also want to say how terrible that attack was … just shocking”.
The prime minister met US President Joe Biden for the first time on Wednesday at the NATO summit welcome ceremony.
He later had a bilateral meeting with him at the White House, after which he attended a dinner for all NATO leaders and their wives.
In a speech after the meeting between the two leaders, the president praised Britain as the “knot” holding NATO together, after Sir Keir congratulated him on hosting the alliance's 75th anniversary summit.
“I see you as the knot that holds the transatlantic alliance together,” Biden said.
“The closer you are to Europe, the more involved you are, because we know where you are, we know where we are.”
Sir Keir replied: “I think that's absolutely right. Now we go into the cup final on Sunday, and then again.”
Earlier in the meeting, Sir Keir met German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, with the two leaders agreeing to work together on defence.
A Downing Street spokesman said: “The Chancellor welcomed the Prime Minister's commitment to reshaping the UK's European partnerships.
“The two leaders went on to discuss the need for enhanced defense cooperation in Europe, to serve as a deterrent to aggression by hostile actors.”
The prime minister told reporters he would use his first two international summits to strengthen ties with Europe in days, not months.
Pledge to spend 2.5% on defense
“Because of the timing of the elections, which was much talked about for other reasons, it provided me and my team with a very important window of opportunity. Within a week of the elections, we have the NATO summit, so we have the opportunity to strengthen our relationships with various NATO leaders and others who are there, including EU leaders,” he said.
Also on Wednesday, Sir Keir pledged to spend 2.5 percent of GDP on defence, but gave no timeline for when this target would be reached.
Earlier, Defence Minister Luke Pollard had said the government would not increase spending on the military unless the economy grew.
He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: “The way we get more public spending on defence, schools, hospitals or prisons is by growing our economy. If we don't grow our economy, there's no money to support those public services and the ambitions that we have – and that includes defence.”
But Downing Street later said that defence spending would increase even if growth did not. A senior official said: “The commitment to defence is absolute. But we are also confident that we will get economic growth, so I don't accept that we don't have to wait for one thing, wait for the other.”
The official also said there was “skepticism about whether the maths was right” around the Tories’ election pledge to spend 2.5% by 2030, following criticism of Labour for failing to deliver on the promise.
'Root and branch defense review'
Ahead of the summit, the Labour government promised to conduct a thorough Strategic Defence Review, which would set out a 'road map' for achieving the 2.5 per cent target.
Defence Secretary John Healey confirmed that the investigation, which officially opens next week, will be completed within a year.
Speaking from the NATO summit in Washington, Mr Healey said: “I've said for some time now and we've said in the manifesto that we will do the Strategic Defence Review within a year. We will do that, we will do that in less than a year.
“We will do it well. We will do it at a rapid pace. We will do it so that we can master the tough decisions that need to be made early, and then defense can become the foundation for a mission-led government that is central to both the security of the country and the economic growth and prosperity of the country.”
He said the review would include “profound reform” within defence.
Mr Healey added that the Labour government would “secure our role as Europe's leading nation in NATO and once again make Britain the most trusted ally of democracy in the world”.
He said Britain's involvement in NATO would be central to the review.
