Starmer heads to China in search of trade links and warmer relations

Sir Keir Starmer will arrive in Beijing on Wednesday as he seeks to build bridges with China after years of frosty relations.

Accompanied by a delegation of more than 50 representatives of British businesses, sports and culture, the Prime Minister is expected to push for greater trade access to China.

But Downing Street insisted the Government would not “trade economic access for our national security” amid concerns about Chinese espionage in the UK.

Ahead of the trip, the Prime Minister said: “Like it or not, China matters for the UK.

“As one of the world’s biggest economic players, a strategic and consistent relationship with them is firmly in our national interest.

“That does not mean turning a blind eye to the challenges they pose – but engaging even where we disagree.”

Sir Keir’s visit is the first by a British prime minister since Theresa May’s trip in 2018, after which relations with Beijing cooled following a crackdown on pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong a year later, while Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei was banned from the UK’s 5G network over security concerns.

Since coming to power, Labour has pursued a thaw in relations with China, which remains the UK’s third-largest trading partner and a major part of global supply chains, with the Prime Minister saying the Conservatives’ approach to Beijing had been “dogged by inconsistency”.

Sir Keir’s trip follows visits by several senior ministers including the Chancellor Rachel Reeves, and the approval of a new embassy in London last week despite opposition from China hawks.

But he has continued to face pressure from parliamentarians to keep his distance from China and even cancel his trip over human rights concerns, such as the imprisonment of Hong Kong pro-democracy activist and British national Jimmy Lai.

Ahead of the trip, former governor of Hong Kong Lord Chris Patten told the Press Association Sir Keir should raise Mr Lai’s case at the start of his meetings with Chinese leaders, or he would be “pathetic”.

Downing Street said the Prime Minister was expected to raise “a range of areas where we disagree” during his meetings in China.

Sir Keir’s official spokesman said that “without meaningful dialogue, we make no progress at all”, adding: “Sticking our heads in the sand and refusing to engage would be a staggering dereliction of duty.

“It would make the British people less safe, cut us off from opportunities and weaken our ability to manage global challenges in areas like climate and health.”

The spokesman pointed to the fact that French and German leaders had visited China multiple times since 2018, during which time no British prime minister had been, while US President Donald Trump was expected to travel there in April.

Sir Keir said: “This is what our allies do, and what I will do: delivering for the public, putting more money in their pockets and keeping them safe through pragmatic, consistent co-operation abroad.”

But there remains the risk that a closer relationship with China could anger Mr Trump, who threatened to impose 100% tariffs on Canada citing a Canadian deal with Beijing.

Mr Trump had initially praised the deal, but reversed his position after Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney gave a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in which he appeared to criticise US efforts to annex Greenland.

Speaking to Bloomberg before his trip, Sir Keir said he would not choose between the US and China.

He said: “I’m often invited to simply choose between countries. I don’t do that.”

Sir Keir will be accompanied by representatives of businesses including Jaguar Land Rover, Barclays and AstraZeneca, as well as cultural organisations such as the Science Museum and the National Theatre.

He will also be joined by the Business Secretary Peter Kyle and the City minister Lucy Rigby.