World News
Risking Rift with US, UK PM Keir Starmer Heads to Beijing to Reset China Ties
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is set to visit China this week in a high-stakes diplomatic push to improve economic and political ties with Beijing, even as relations between Western allies and China remain tense and the United States ramps up pressure on its partners.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is set to visit China this week in a high-stakes diplomatic push to improve economic and political ties with Beijing, even as relations between Western allies and China remain tense and the United States ramps up pressure on its partners.
Starmer’s visit — the first by a British Prime Minister since 2018 — comes at a sensitive moment, with Washington adopting a tougher trade stance under President Donald Trump, who has imposed steep tariffs on several allies and warned against closer engagement with China.
Despite the risks, Starmer is betting that stronger ties with the world’s second-largest economy could provide a much-needed boost to Britain’s slowing economy.
Focus on trade and investment
During his trip to Beijing and Shanghai starting Wednesday, Starmer is scheduled to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang. He will be accompanied by Business Secretary Peter Kyle and dozens of business leaders.
The UK delegation aims to attract Chinese investment and technology while expanding British exports — particularly financial services, automobiles, and Scotch whisky — into China’s vast consumer market.
“China is no longer just the world’s factory; it is also becoming a global market,” said Zhao Minghao, professor at Fudan University’s Institute of International Studies.
Both sides are emphasising a “pragmatic” approach to rebuilding relations.
China’s Foreign Ministry said the visit presents an opportunity to enhance political trust and deepen “pragmatic cooperation” amid global uncertainty.
“In the current complex and volatile international situation, it is in the common interest of both peoples to maintain communication and strengthen cooperation,” spokesperson Guo Jiakun said.
Political balancing act
However, Starmer’s outreach risks criticism at home from China hawks and could strain ties with Washington.
President Trump has already taken an aggressive trade stance toward allies, imposing tariffs and warning countries against deepening economic partnerships with Beijing.
Analysts say the UK leader faces a delicate balancing act.
Kerry Brown, director of the Lau China Institute at King’s College London, said shifting global geopolitics may create opportunities but also scepticism.
“Starmer is going to be talking to a very sceptical audience,” Brown said. “Britain has not been very consistent in its relations with China. We have been very hot and cold.”
UK-China relations have cooled significantly since the brief “golden era” declared in 2015 under former Prime Minister David Cameron, amid concerns over security, technology and human rights.
Canada distances itself
Meanwhile, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney signalled caution over closer ties with Beijing.
Responding to Trump’s threat of imposing 100% tariffs if Canada pursued a trade deal with China, Carney said Ottawa has no interest in a free trade agreement with Beijing.
He described some of Trump’s warnings as negotiation tactics ahead of the upcoming review of the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement.
Strategic shift
Starmer’s visit highlights how major economies are recalibrating foreign policy in an increasingly uncertain global order. For Britain, the challenge lies in boosting trade with China without jeopardising its longstanding alliance with the United States.
Whether this pragmatic reset succeeds — or deepens transatlantic tensions — remains to be seen.
