Key Takeaways:
- U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer is visiting China to repair ties and expand opportunities for British businesses
- The visit aims to strengthen economic cooperation and address concerns over Chinese spying, surveillance, and human rights issues
- Both sides are seeking common ground while managing differences, with a focus on trade and investment opportunities
- The U.K. is looking to diversify its overseas markets and supply chains, while China is seeking to boost domestic consumption and open its services sector to international businesses
- The visit comes amidst tensions over human rights issues, including the imprisonment of British citizen Jimmy Lai in Hong Kong
Introduction to the Visit
The United Kingdom’s Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, has arrived in Beijing for a four-day visit aimed at repairing ties and expanding opportunities for British businesses in China. This visit marks the first time a British leader has visited Beijing since Theresa May in 2018. The relationship between the two countries has deteriorated in recent years due to concerns over Chinese spying and surveillance, China’s support for Russia in the Ukraine war, and Beijing’s crackdown on civil liberties in Hong Kong, a former British colony. Despite these issues, both sides are emphasizing the importance of seeking common ground while managing differences, as stated by Zheng Zeguang, China’s Ambassador to the U.K.
Economic Opportunities
Starmer is bringing a delegation of over 60 British business and cultural leaders with him, and his agenda includes visits to Shanghai, the nation’s financial capital and a major port, as well as meetings with Xi Jinping and other Chinese leaders in Beijing. Wang Yiwei, a European affairs expert at Renmin University of China, notes that Britain’s strengths in finance, consulting, and other services align well with China’s growing appetite for services such as health and elderly care. The U.K. had a trade deficit with China in 2025, importing more goods than it exported, but it had a trade surplus in services. The China-Britain Business Council sees significant opportunities for growth for U.K. businesses, particularly in light of recent Chinese policy directives focused on boosting domestic consumption and further opening the services sector to international businesses.
Global Trade and Investment
The visit comes amidst a complex global trade landscape, with many countries seeking to diversify their overseas markets and supply chains. The disruption to global trade under U.S. President Donald Trump has made expanding trade and investment even more imperative. Both Britain and China have been affected by Trump’s tariffs and are seeking to strengthen their economic ties. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney recently made a trip to China with similar goals in mind, highlighting the importance of finding the right balance in an increasingly uncertain world. However, the approach is not without risks, as Trump has threatened to impose a 100% tariff on Canada if it reaches a trade deal with China.
Challenges and Concerns
Despite the opportunities for cooperation, concerns about spying or surveillance by China have risen sharply in many countries, complicating trade and overall relations. The U.K. has barred Chinese investment in sensitive telecoms infrastructure and squeezed China out of investment in new nuclear power plants, souring ties. Starmer’s government has said it will protect national security while keeping up diplomatic dialogue and economic cooperation with China. The U.K. recently approved plans for a huge Chinese Embassy in London, removing a sticking point in relations and overriding claims by critics that the "mega-embassy" would make it easier for China to conduct espionage and intimidate dissidents.
Human Rights Issues
Most Western governments come under pressure to raise human rights issues when they visit China, and the U.K. is no exception, particularly given its links to Hong Kong. Starmer’s visit comes less than two months after a Hong Kong court convicted Jimmy Lai, a former newspaper publisher and a British citizen, under a national security law that Beijing imposed on the territory after massive pro-democracy protests in 2019. Chris Patten, the former British governor of Hong Kong, has urged Starmer to be firm in raising disagreements over Lai’s imprisonment and other human rights issues. The visit will be closely watched to see how Starmer navigates these complex issues and balances the need for economic cooperation with the importance of promoting human rights and national security.