Sunak urged to rethink visit by Chinese official accused of deporting dissidents

Liu Jianchao accused of directing fugitive recovery operations targeting regime’s opponents

A cross-party group of British MPs and peers have written to the prime minister urging him to reconsider a decision to allow a visit this week by a senior Chinese government official accused of overseeing the forcible deportation of hundreds of dissidents back to China, including some from the UK.

Liu Jianchao, the head of the international department of the Communist party of China central committee, is due to speak at the Chatham House thinktank and meet UK parliamentarians.