UK’s Starmer signals China reset in talks with Xi, eyes economic wins
Visit comes amid flurry of diplomacy with Beijing, Trump tensions
[BEIJING] British Prime Minister Keir Starmer told Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday (Jan 29) that he wanted to build a “sophisticated relationship” with Beijing to bolster security and the economy, signalling a reset after years of strained ties.
On the key day of his four-day visit to China, the first by a British prime minister in eight years, Starmer spent around three hours with Xi during a formal summit and a lunch, during which the pair also chatted about football and Shakespeare.
The British leader, whose centre-left Labour government has struggled to deliver the economic growth it promised, has made improving relations with the world’s second-largest economy a priority, despite misgivings about espionage and human rights.
“China is a vital player on the global stage, and it’s vital that we build a more sophisticated relationship where we can identify opportunities to collaborate, but of course, also allow a meaningful dialogue on areas where we disagree,” Starmer told Xi at the start of their meeting.
Xi said ties with Britain had gone through “twists and turns” that did not serve the interests of either country, and that China was ready to develop a long-term partnership.
“We can deliver a result that can withstand the test of history,” the Chinese leader told Starmer, flanked by his top ministers, at their summit at the Great Hall of the People.
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Hedging against Trump’s unpredictability
Starmer is the latest Western leader to engage in a flurry of diplomacy with China, as nations hedge against unpredictability from the US under President Donald Trump.
Trump’s on-off threats of trade tariffs and pledges to grab control of Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark, have rankled long-standing allies such as Britain.
Starmer’s visit immediately follows that of Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who signed an economic deal with Beijing to tear down trade barriers, drawing Trump’s ire.
The British leader told reporters he had made progress in discussions with Beijing to reduce tariffs on whisky, while Xi said China would consider waiving visas for British nationals.
The “relationship is in a good place, a strong place”, said Starmer, who is being accompanied by more than 50 business leaders on the trip.
Asked by a reporter if Xi was someone he could do business with, Starmer simply replied: “Yes.”
He described the meeting with Xi as warm and constructive, adding that the pair chatted about major English Premier League football clubs, which have a massive fan base in China, as they dined on roasted cod and sweet rice dumplings.
Starmer gifted Xi a ball from a recent match between Manchester United, the Chinese president’s favoured team, and the British premier’s team Arsenal.
Tackling migrant smuggling gangs
Starmer has adopted a new policy of engagement with China after ties deteriorated for years under previous Conservative governments, when London curbed some Chinese investment over national security worries and expressed concern over a crackdown on political freedoms in Hong Kong.
“I made the promise 18 months ago, when we were elected into government, that I would make Britain face outwards again,” Starmer told Xi at the summit talks.
“Because, as we all know, events abroad affect everything that happens back in our home countries, to prices on the supermarket shelves to how secure we feel.”
Kemi Badenoch, the leader of Britain’s opposition Conservative Party, said on Wednesday that she would not have gone to China because of the security risks the country poses.
British security services have said China routinely spies on the government. China has denied the claims.
Starmer is seeking Beijing’s help to bolster security, announcing that the countries would jointly tackle gangs involved in trafficking illegal migrants.
The deal focuses on reducing the use of Chinese-made engines for small boats that transport people across the Channel to claim asylum in Britain.
British and Chinese officials will share intelligence to identify smugglers’ supply routes and work with Chinese manufacturers to prevent legitimate businesses from being exploited by organised crime, Downing Street said.
Starmer told reporters he also had a “respectful discussion” with Xi about the case of Jimmy Lai, the former Hong Kong media tycoon and British citizen who was convicted in December of national security crimes.
After arriving in the Chinese capital late on Wednesday, the British leader dined at a restaurant known for its speciality mushroom dishes that also hosted former US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen during her 2023 visit.
He practiced pronouncing the Chinese word for thank you – “xie xie” – with restaurant staff as he posed for photographs, a video posted on Weibo showed. REUTERS
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