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Ahead of the first visit by a British prime minister to Beijing in eight years, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer emphasized that he will not be pressured into choosing between maintaining strong ties with the United States or engaging with China. Sir Keir highlighted the UK’s commitment to close relationships with the US across business, security, and defense sectors. At the same time, he cautioned against ignoring China, noting the impracticality of overlooking the world’s second-largest economy given the potential business opportunities it presents.
During an interview with Bloomberg News, Sir Keir expressed optimism about the visit, which is expected to include a delegation of numerous UK business leaders. He described the trip as an opportunity to unlock “significant opportunities” for British companies. This diplomatic engagement follows the UK government’s approval of plans for a large new Chinese embassy in London, a decision that has faced criticism from opponents who fear the site could be used for espionage activities.
Responding to repeated calls to choose sides, Sir Keir reiterated, “I’m often invited to simply choose between countries. I don’t do that.” Reflecting on previous trade negotiations, he said, “I remember when I was doing the US trade deal, and everybody put to me that I’d have to make a choice between the US and Europe, and I said, ‘I’m not making that choice.'” He affirmed the UK’s intention to sustain close cooperation with the US while acknowledging that turning away from China would not be sensible. Importantly, he stressed that engaging with China does not mean compromising national security.
The prime minister’s visit to Beijing and Shanghai comes amid recent strains in relations between the US and its allies. Notable tensions include the former US president’s threats to impose tariffs on allies and controversial remarks about NATO troops’ deployment in Afghanistan. Sir Keir has framed failure to navigate the complex relationship with China as a “dereliction of duty,” rejecting views that promote isolationism. He acknowledged past fluctuations in UK-China relations, stating, “We had the golden age, which then flipped to an Ice Age. We reject that binary choice.” Additionally, Sir Keir indicated his intention to raise human rights concerns during the trip, including the case of Jimmy Lai, the Hong Kong pro-democracy media tycoon convicted of colluding with foreign forces. Lord Chris Patten, the last British governor of Hong Kong, criticized any approach that would treat such important issues as an afterthought, calling on the prime minister to engage seriously on these matters
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