Beijing/London: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Wednesday began his first official visit to China, marking the first such trip by a UK prime minister since 2018, as London looks to recalibrate political and economic engagement with Beijing amid growing uncertainty in Western relations with the United States.
Speaking to reporters while en route, Starmer said Britain must strike a careful balance between safeguarding national security and engaging with the world’s second-largest economy. While acknowledging concerns around security and intelligence, he stressed that disengaging from China was not a viable option.
“It doesn’t make sense to bury our heads in the sand when it comes to China. Engagement is in our national interest,” Starmer said, describing the visit as an opportunity to make “real progress” on trade and diplomacy.
Starmer is accompanied by a delegation of more than 50 British business leaders. He is scheduled to hold talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang on Thursday, followed by meetings with corporate executives in Shanghai on Friday.
The visit signals a possible thaw in UK-China relations after years of strained ties over Beijing’s actions in Hong Kong, China’s backing of Russia in the Ukraine conflict, and repeated allegations by British security agencies of Chinese espionage targeting lawmakers and officials.
For Beijing, the high-profile visit offers a chance to project itself as a stable and dependable global partner at a time of increasing geopolitical turbulence.
The backdrop to Starmer’s China outreach includes rising tensions between several Western nations and the United States under President Donald Trump. European countries have stepped up diplomatic engagement with Beijing as they hedge against Washington’s unpredictability, particularly on trade and security.
Starmer’s trip comes after recent friction with Trump over issues ranging from Greenland and the Chagos Archipelago to NATO’s role in Afghanistan. Trump has also warned allies against deepening trade ties with China, recently threatening steep tariffs on Canada over a potential Beijing deal.
Despite this, the UK prime minister insisted that closer economic cooperation with China would not undermine Britain’s longstanding partnership with the US. He described the transatlantic relationship as one of the UK’s strongest, spanning defence, intelligence, and trade.
Starmer declined to confirm whether he would raise sensitive issues such as the imprisonment of Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai or press China to influence Russia’s war in Ukraine. He also offered cautious optimism on easing visa restrictions between the two countries, saying he hoped for some movement during the talks.
Rejecting suggestions that Britain must choose between Washington and Beijing, Starmer characterised his approach as pragmatic, saying his government would pursue common-sense diplomacy based on national interests rather than rigid alliances.
