Welcome: Starmer receiving a bouquet of flowers at an airport as Chinese Finance Minister Lan Foan reacts in Beijing. — Reuters
Keir Starmer began the first visit to China by a British Prime Minister since 2018, seeking to strengthen political and business ties with Beijing as relations between Western countries and the United States become more volatile.
Starmer, whose approach to China has been criticised by some British and US politicians, said Britain must remain vigilant about potential security threats but could not afford to ignore the opportunities presented by the world’s second-largest economy.
“It doesn’t make sense to stick our head in the ground and bury it in the sand when it comes to China; it’s in our interests to engage,” he told reporters on the plane.
“It’s going to be a really important trip for us and we’ll make some real progress.”
Travelling with a delegation of more than 50 business leaders, Starmer will meet with President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang today before travelling to Shanghai tomorrow for talks with local executives.
The visit could mark a shift in ties between Britain and China after years of deep acrimony.
For China, the visit offers the country a chance to portray itself as a stable and reliable partner at a time of global disorder.
European and other Western countries have engaged in a flurry of diplomacy with China as they hedge against unpredictability from the United States under President Donald Trump.
Starmer’s trip follows tensions with Trump over his threats to seize Greenland, his criticism of Britain’s deal to cede sovereignty of the Chagos Archipelago – including an island with a US-UK air base – to Mauritius, and his comments that Nato allies avoided frontline combat during the war in Afghanistan.
On Saturday, Trump threatened to impose a 100% tariff on Canadian goods if that country’s Prime Minister, Mark Carney, signed a trade deal with China.
The UK leader insisted Britain could continue to strengthen economic ties with China – without angering Trump – because of his country’s long history of working closely with the United States.
“The relationship we have with the US is one of the closest relationships we hold, on defence, security, intelligence and also on trade and lots of areas,” he said.
Starmer was reluctant to be drawn on what he would discuss with Chinese leaders.
He also declined to say whether he would ask China to pressure Russia to end its war against Ukraine.
Asked if Britain and China could strike a deal that would allow more visa-free travel, Starmer said he hoped to make some “progress” in that area.
He also distanced himself from comments made by Carney last week about middle countries working together to avoid being victimised by American hegemony.
“I’m a pragmatist, a British pragmatist applying common sense,” Starmer said, rejecting the idea that his government must choose between the United States and Europe. — Reuters
