Sir Keir Starmer will meet President Xi Jinping at the G20 summit this week, with the government saying it wants “sustainable and genuine dialogue” with China.
The prime minister will say it is okay to negotiate with China on “areas of cooperation” such as international stability, climate change and economic growth.
But Downing Street said it would “reiterate the need to have honest discussions on areas of disagreement”, and that negotiations would “always focus on the UK’s national interests”.
Speaking to reporters on his way to a meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Sir Keir said “getting Ukraine’s support” was at the top of his agenda.
The summit follows Russia’s massive missile and drone attacks across Ukraine over the weekend, and will take place as the conflict approaches its 1,000th day.
It also comes amid reports that the US has authorized the use of long-range missiles it supplies to Ukraine to strike Russia – a request Western allies have been reluctant to grant.
The prime minister is expected to call on other G20 countries to step up their support for Ukraine or face “ambiguous consequences” if Russia is allowed to win.
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The meeting between Sir Keir and Xi will be the first time a UK prime minister has met a Chinese president in person since 2018.
Downing Street said the two were expected to meet on Monday.
The pair spoke on the phone in August, after Labor won the election last month, but had not yet met in person.
China’s military support for Russia’s war in Ukraine has drawn criticism from the UK and other Western countries.
The prime minister said: “It is in the UK’s best interests to engage globally – whether that is building strong and fruitful relationships with our closest partners or speaking frankly with those whose values differ from ours.
“Working closely with leading economies is vital to securing investment in the UK, and creating the jobs needed to boost growth.”
Foreign Secretary David Lammy held talks with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, and Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang, in Beijing last month.
The last British prime minister to meet President Xi was Theresa May, who praised the “golden era” of UK-China relations during her visit to the country in 2018.
However, since then there have been tensions over issues involving China’s treatment of the Uyghur minority in Xinjiang and pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong.
Last year, then Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said China was “the biggest state-based threat to our economic security”.
But as the current government, he also said it is necessary to negotiate with China on issues such as climate change and the global economy.
The G20, made up of 19 countries with major economies around the world as well as the African Union and the European Union, is meeting in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro.
Downing Street said the prime minister will also focus on building relationships that will increase the economy and security during the conference, accelerate climate change and use clean electricity, and support the economic development of developing countries.
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