Labour’s softening stance towards China has been reinforced by the dropping of a spy case, as the government refuses to describe China as a national security threat despite evidence to the contrary. Critics argue that the party is hastily pursuing a return to the 'golden era' of rapprochement led by David Cameron in 2015, which collapsed after China crushed Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement and engaged in cyber espionage.
In opposition, Labour promised to declare China’s repression of Uyghur Muslims as genocide, and MPs supported a genocide amendment to a 2021 trade bill. However, after the election, the party backtracked on that commitment in October 2024 before a visit to Beijing by then foreign secretary David Lammy. The manifesto now promises 'a long-term and strategic approach' to China based on an audit of the bilateral relationship.
Key figures driving the policy shift include Keir Starmer’s national security adviser, Jonathan Powell, a veteran of the Northern Ireland peace process. Powell visited Beijing in July 2025, meeting China’s foreign affairs minister, Wang Yi. Peter Mandelson, the only Labour peer to vote against the genocide amendment, said Britain had gone too far in its falling out with China.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves visited China in January 2025 and secured pledges of £600m in investment over five years, though some specialists argued that was a poor return. Meanwhile, threats from China have continued, including a hack of the Electoral Commission that accessed details of 40 million voters, and an estimated 20,000 Britons approached by Chinese state actors on LinkedIn for industrial espionage.
