By Ted Fraser, Senior Editor
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer is visiting Beijing this week, a cautious attempt to stabilize U.K.–China ties after years of strain.
Starmer’s China trip, the first by a British leader since 2018, coincides with the launch of a revamped U.K.–China business dialogue, with senior British executives and Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves expected to join.
Starmer’s trip follows the U.K.’s controversial recent approval of a new Chinese ‘mega-embassy’ in London, which will cover 20,000 square metres (or roughly four times the size of the White House). Starmer, battling low favourability at home, a sluggish economy, and souring transatlantic ties, is looking to revive trade with China, the U.K.’s fourth-largest trading partner. Bilateral trade ticked up 15 per cent from 2019–24.
Notably, a U.K. government spokesperson told Politico this week that, on China, the U.K. “will co-operate where we can and challenge where we must,” a near-verbatim echo of recent comments by Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand.
Chinese President Xi Jinping may have other matters on his mind when meeting with Starmer: it emerged this week that China’s top general, Zhang Youxia, reportedly leaked information about China’s nuclear-weapons program to the U.S. and “accepted bribes for official acts, including the promotion of an officer to defence minister,” according to the Wall Street Journal. The Chinese Communist Party also purged another senior People’s Liberation Army (PLA) general.
APF Canada’s Senior Advisor, China Program, Elizabeth Donkervoort, told Asia Watch that, “recent PLA purges highlight two realities in China’s system: loyalty to Xi matters most, and uncertainty is a feature of China’s governance model. In these conditions, officials and companies tend to act conservatively, avoid drawing attention, and stay closely aligned with Xi’s priorities. These are important dynamics to consider as Ottawa seeks to deepen economic ties under the new Canada–China strategic partnership.”
