Starmer seeks thaw in UK-China ties during Beijing visit

Keir Starmer visited Beijing this week in a trip intended to begin a thaw in relations after years he has described as an "ice age", meeting President Xi Jinping for more than three hours and receiving a ceremonial welcome. The last British prime minister to visit China was Theresa May in 2018, when her team were advised to get dressed under the covers over concerns about hidden cameras.

Starmer said of that advice, "I can confirm that I didn’t," adding he had "always said that we need to seize the opportunities, mindful of our national security." The article notes security risks have, if anything, increased and that China has been accused of spying on parliament, sanctioning British MPs and peers, carrying out severe cyber-attacks and adopting aggressive trade practices, which the government called an "epoch-defining challenge." Officials said the UK's decision to green-light a new Chinese mega-embassy in London smoothed the way for the visit, and while they stressed there was no political involvement, Starmer received a military march-past, a lavish banquet and praise from his host.

The visit produced tangible gains including a visa waiver, cuts to whisky tariffs and investment by British firms, and 10 different agreements were signed. One British official described those pacts as "jam tomorrow" deals, warning that the Chinese state is a bureaucratic monolith and that without the top-level sign-off British businesses may struggle to access the market.

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