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Starmer heads to Beijing in bid to reset UK-China relations
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has arrived in China, marking the first visit by a British leader since 2018. The trip, accompanied by 60 business and cultural figures, aims to recalibrate the UK's approach to Beijing amid criticism over human rights and security concerns.
Key meetings and economic focus
Starmer is scheduled to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday. The delegation includes executives from HSBC, GSK, Jaguar Land Rover, and the National Theatre, underscoring the visit's economic emphasis. Business Secretary Peter Kyle and Economic Secretary Lucy Rigby are also part of the official party.
Downing Street framed the trip as a correction to years of inconsistent UK policy toward China, oscillating between engagement and confrontation. Starmer will argue that "strategic re-engagement" strengthens British interests, even where disagreements persist.
Human rights and security tensions
Critics, including Conservative shadow foreign secretary Priti Patel, accuse the government of appeasement. Patel cited the recent approval of a new Chinese embassy in London-set to be Europe's largest-as evidence of concessions to Beijing. She warned that China poses a "serious threat" to UK national security.
When pressed on whether Starmer would address human rights abuses, Downing Street confirmed he would "raise challenging issues" where UK and Chinese values diverge. China faces allegations of crimes against humanity in Xinjiang, targeting Uyghur Muslims, and the imprisonment of Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai.
MI5 has also highlighted the daily threat posed by Chinese espionage in the UK, adding to the visit's controversy.
Western allies' engagement with China
Starmer's team pointed to recent visits by Canadian and French leaders to Beijing, framing the UK as an "outlier" among Western economies. US President Donald Trump is expected to visit China in April, though skepticism within his administration persists over closer ties with Beijing.
This is Starmer's second meeting with Xi, following an encounter at the 2024 G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro. After China, he will travel to Tokyo to meet Japan's new prime minister, Sanae Takaichi.
Government defends approach
Ahead of the trip, Starmer acknowledged China's global economic significance, stating: "Like it or not, China matters for the UK." He added that a "strategic and consistent relationship" is in Britain's national interest, though not at the expense of ignoring challenges.
"For years, our approach to China has been dogged by inconsistency-blowing hot and cold, from Golden Age to Ice Age. That does not mean turning a blind eye to the challenges they pose-but engaging even where we disagree."
Sir Keir Starmer, UK Prime Minister
