The lawmakers were barred from entering China and Chinese entities were forbidden from doing business with them in 2021. Beijing accused them of spreading "lies and disinformation" over China's treatment of the Muslim Uyghur minority in its Xinjiang region.

Those affected included high-profile China hawks Tom Tugendhat, the former security minister, and Iain Duncan Smith, the work and pensions secretary until 2016.

"I raised that issue... and the Chinese are absolutely clear in response, the restrictions no longer apply. President Xi said to me that that means all parliamentarians are welcome," Starmer said during an interview with UK television.

"That shows that if you engage, you can raise the difficult issues," he said during a visit to China to boost economic ties with the world's second-largest economy.

Starmer's visit drew criticism from within the UK, as well as from US President Donald Trump.

Beijing has been accused of detaining more than a million Uyghurs and other Muslims since 2017, part of a campaign that the United Nations has said could constitute "crimes against humanity".

China vehemently denies the allegations, saying its policies have rooted out extremism in Xinjiang and boosted economic development.