UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer arrived in China on Wednesday for his first official visit since taking office, marking the first trip by a British leader to Beijing in eight years. The trip signals a cautious reset in relations between China and yet another Western power amid growing global uncertainties unleashed by US President Donald Trump, multiple media outlets report.
Starmer’s three-day visit will include meetings with President Xi Jinping and senior Chinese officials in Beijing today, followed by engagements in Shanghai. He is accompanied by dozens of business and cultural leaders, underscoring London’s push to rebuild economic ties with the world’s second-largest economy after years of diplomatic strain.
Relations between China and the UK deteriorated sharply in recent years over issues including Hong Kong, national security concerns linked to Chinese technology firms, and Beijing’s ties with Russia. However, both sides have framed the visit as an effort to “seek common ground while managing differences” – in the words of China’s ambassador to Britain, Zheng Zeguang.
Starmer, en route to Beijing, described himself to reporters as “a British pragmatist applying common sense.” He added, “It doesn’t make sense to stick our head in the ground and bury it in the sand when it comes to China. It’s in our interests to engage.”
The UK’s utilitarian attitude reflects shifting calculations as Washington’s aggressive trade policies and unpredictable foreign stance – including Trump’s desire to annex Greenland, a territory of NATO ally Denmark – continue to spark geopolitical tensions.
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Starmer’s visit follows a flurry of similar diplomatic efforts by Western leaders seeking to diversify their trade ties. This month alone saw Xi meet with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo and Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin. France’s President, Emmanuel Macron, visited Beijing in December while German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is expected to head there in late February.
British officials have made clear they do not intend to choose between Washington and Beijing, noting that disengagement from China would undermine economic interests, particularly in services, finance, pharmaceuticals and creative industries.
Beijing has portrayed Starmer’s visit as a chance to reinvigorate bilateral cooperation at a time of global fragmentation. Chinese officials and state media have emphasised China’s readiness to deepen dialogue, expand practical cooperation and promote what they describe as a more stable, multipolar international order.
China was the UK’s fourth biggest trading partner in the 12 months prior to the middle of 2025, and Starmer’s government recently approved plans for a mega-Chinese embassy in London.
