UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is set to travel to Beijing on Tuesday, seeking to rebuild ties with China at a time of growing diplomatic strain between London and Washington. The three-day visit will be the first by a British prime minister to China in eight years and signals a strategic effort to diversify the UK’s economic and diplomatic partnerships beyond the United States.
According to Reuters, Starmer’s primary objective is to strengthen trade and investment links with the world’s second-largest economy, as his government looks to reduce reliance on Washington and inject fresh momentum into Britain’s slowing economy.
Starmer will be accompanied by two senior ministers and a high-level business delegation. After meetings with China’s top leadership in Beijing, he is scheduled to travel to Shanghai before making a brief stop in Japan.
The visit comes against the backdrop of deteriorating relations between the UK and the US, triggered in part by former US President Donald Trump’s controversial threat to seize Greenland, which has unsettled long-standing Western alliances. Kerry Brown, Professor of Chinese Studies at King’s College London, said that on several global issues, London currently appears closer to Beijing than to Washington.
Since taking office after the 2024 election, Starmer has made restoring relations with China a foreign policy priority. Ties between the two countries had sharply declined in recent years over Beijing’s crackdown on pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong, as well as allegations of espionage and cyberattacks.
The geopolitical stakes are high. Earlier this month, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney signed a major economic agreement with China, prompting Trump to threaten a 100 percent tariff on Canadian goods if Ottawa proceeds. Amid such tensions, China is seeking to draw other US allies closer.
China’s state-run Global Times said on Monday that Beijing could serve as a “reliable partner” for countries in a “multipolar world.”
The UK government hopes closer trade relations with China will help improve public services and stimulate economic growth. Data for the 12 months up to mid-2025 show China as Britain’s fourth-largest trading partner, with bilateral trade totaling around £100 billion. However, Starmer’s China strategy has drawn criticism from both domestic politicians and US allies.
Sam Goodman, policy director at the China Strategic Risks Institute, argued that Britain has so far gained little economically from improved ties with Beijing. China accounts for just 0.2 percent of the UK’s foreign direct investment, compared with nearly one-third from the United States.
Starmer’s visit also follows his government’s controversial approval of plans to build a massive new Chinese embassy in central London. Critics warn the facility could make it easier for Beijing to conduct intelligence operations in the UK.
Last month, Starmer acknowledged that China poses a national security threat to Britain but said maintaining close business ties is in the national interest. He also noted that Trump’s Greenland remarks have created a sensitive moment in Western relations, particularly as China expands its influence in the Arctic region.
As Starmer seeks a delicate balance between economic pragmatism and security concerns, his Beijing trip is being closely watched for signs of how far the UK is willing to go in reshaping its global alliances.
