Keir Starmer has held historic talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing, becoming the first UK prime minister to visit China in eight years. The meeting at the Great Hall of the People is intended to strengthen economic ties at a time of uncertainty over the reliability of the US as an ally.
Speaking on the flight to Beijing, Starmer said he wanted to bring “stability and clarity” to bilateral relations after years of inconsistency under the previous Conservative government, which saw ties swing from a “golden age to an ice age”. China is the world’s second largest economy and the UK’s third largest trading partner, with annual exports of goods and services worth £45bn.
The prime minister insisted he was “clear-eyed” about the national security threat posed by China, with Downing Street saying “guardrails” would be in place against espionage. He is expected to raise human rights issues, including the case of Jimmy Lai, the jailed Hong Kong media tycoon. The visit has drawn criticism from Tory figures, with leader Kemi Badenoch saying she would not go to China “at this time”.
Starmer is also set to meet Chinese premier Li Qiang. A deal expected to be signed will tackle the supply of boat parts used by migrants crossing the Channel, with UK law enforcement sharing intelligence with Chinese authorities. The agreement will also deepen cooperation on serious organised crime, including the trafficking of synthetic opioids linked to more than 750 UK deaths.
As a gesture to Xi, a Manchester United fan, Starmer brought the football from last week’s match in which Xi’s team beat Arsenal, the club the prime minister supports. The two leaders previously held talks at the G20 summit in Rio in late 2024.
