CHINESE police will help to stop Channel crossings under a deal signed between Sir Keir Starmer and Xi Jinping today.
The two leaders will ink an intelligence-sharing agreement to halt the supply routes of gear for smuggling gangs.
More than 60 per cent of all small boat engines last year were manufactured in China, with other parts also sourced there.
UK and Chinese authorities will pool information to disrupt the operations in the latest move to get a grip on illegal immigration.
Sir Keir trumpeted the deal as he became the first British PM in eight years to visit China.
He was due to meet with President Xi and Premier Li Qiang.
Hailing the deal, Sir Keir said: “Organised immigration crime and the business model of the smuggling gangs goes beyond borders and our approach to shut them down must do the same.
“This deal will help us cut off the supply of boats at source — stopping crossings before lives are put at risk and restoring control to our borders.
“This is Britain back at the top table, delivering real results for the British people through our international relationships.”
Rick Jones, from the National Crime Agency, said: “This agreement will enable us to work with Chinese law enforcement to tackle those gangs who exploit the most vulnerable, and prevent legitimate companies being drawn into this criminality. We are committed to working with them constructively going forward.”
The deal will also extend to intelligence co-operation to flush out opioid drug smuggling gangs coming out of China.
Labour has overseen a rise in Channel crossings since coming into office despite a string of initiatives to try to turn the tide.
A one-in, one-out deal with France has seen Britain take more migrants than we have sent back, and the scale has been very small.
As he headed to Beijing, the PM said he wanted to ramp up this arrangement and spoke regularly to President Emmanuel Macron about it.
