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Sir Keir Starmer has arrived in Beijing, marking the first visit to China by a British prime minister since 2018.
He is scheduled to meet with President Xi Jinping on Thursday.
Accompanying the Prime Minister are approximately 60 British business and cultural figures, including representatives from HSBC, GSK, Jaguar Land Rover, and the National Theatre.
This trip represents the latest and most significant step in the government’s efforts to recalibrate the UK’s relationship with China. However, critics argue that China holds a fundamentally different worldview, lacks trustworthiness, and that the government should exercise greater caution in its dealings with the Communist Party.
When questioned about whether the Prime Minister would raise concerns regarding human rights abuses with President Xi, Downing Street stated that he would “raise challenging issues where interests and values differ.”
China has faced accusations of committing crimes against humanity against the Uyghur population and other predominantly Muslim ethnic groups in the Xinjiang region.
Criticism has also been directed towards the treatment of Jimmy Lai – the Hong Kong pro-democracy media mogul – who is currently facing a potential life sentence in prison.
In addition to concerns surrounding China’s human rights record, there are reservations regarding the extent of its espionage activities within the UK. The head of MI5 recently cautioned that Chinese state operatives pose a daily national security threat.
Despite these concerns, Downing Street has asserted the importance of the visit.
Prior to the trip, the Prime Minister stated: “For years, our approach to China has been characterized by inconsistency – oscillating between periods of warmth and detachment. However, whether we like it or not, China is of significant importance to the UK.”
“As one of the world’s leading economic powers, a strategic and consistent relationship with China is firmly in our national interest.”
“This does not imply disregarding the challenges they present – but rather engaging even in areas where we hold differing views.”
Business Secretary Peter Kyle and Economic Secretary to the Treasury Lucy Rigby have joined the Prime Minister on this visit.
Mr. Kyle previously visited Beijing in September of last year shortly after assuming the role of Business Secretary.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves visited a year ago, a few months after the now deputy prime minister, then Foreign Secretary David Lammy had been.
Sir Keir Starmer is expected to argue that recent governments have engaged in “isolationism” in their approach to China and that “strategic re-engagement strengthens our position.”
Downing Street highlights that Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and French President Emmanuel Macron have both recently visited Beijing, and the heads of government of both France and Germany have visited multiple times since Theresa May’s visit as Prime Minister eight years ago.
The Prime Minister believes this has left the UK as an “outlier” among comparable Western economies.
President Trump is expected to visit in April.
Some within his administration harbor skepticism regarding the UK and other nations developing closer ties with Beijing.
Earlier this month, the government approved the construction of a new Chinese embassy in London, which is slated to be the largest in Europe upon completion.
Conservative Shadow Foreign Secretary Priti Patel stated: “Starmer has already capitulated to the Chinese Communist Party regarding their plans for a spy-hub super embassy in the heart of our capital.”
“The evidence overwhelmingly suggests that China poses a significant threat to our national security, and it is evident that Starmer is traveling to China without any leverage.”
“He lacks the resolve to stand up for Britain and is bending over backwards to appease Beijing.”
This will not be the first meeting between Sir Keir and President Xi. They previously met at the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro in November 2024.
Following his visits to Beijing and Shanghai, the Prime Minister will travel to Tokyo to meet with the new Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.
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