British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will travel to China on Tuesday for the first visit by a UK leader in eight years, seeking to repair strained relations with Beijing while reducing Britain’s reliance on an increasingly unpredictable United States.
The three day trip marks a significant shift in London’s foreign policy approach and comes as tensions grow between Britain and Washington over US President Donald Trump’s foreign policy posture, including recent comments about taking control of Greenland.
Starmer will meet senior Chinese officials in Beijing before traveling to Shanghai, followed by a brief stop in Japan. He is accompanied by two cabinet ministers and dozens of business leaders, underlining the economic focus of the visit.
Since taking office in 2024, Starmer has made restoring dialogue with China a key priority after relations deteriorated under previous UK governments. Those tensions stemmed from disputes over Beijing’s crackdown on pro democracy protests in Hong Kong, as well as allegations of espionage and cyber activity that China has denied.
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The visit represents the most serious attempt yet by the new government to re engage with the world’s second largest economy.
Analysts say the backdrop of strained US alliances will shape discussions in Beijing as much as bilateral issues.
“At the heart of the visit will be how both sides interpret the current behavior of the US and President Trump,” said Kerry Brown, a professor of Chinese studies at King’s College London.
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“One of the great anomalies right now is that London may find itself closer to Beijing than Washington on certain global questions, including public health, the environment, and technology governance,” Brown added.
Starmer’s trip follows recent visits to China by other Western leaders navigating trade uncertainty linked to Trump’s policies. Earlier this month, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney visited Beijing and reached an economic agreement, prompting Trump to threaten tariffs of up to 100 percent on Canadian goods if the deal is implemented.
Chinese state affiliated newspaper Global Times said on Monday that Beijing offers stability to partners by supporting a multipolar global order.
Recent diplomatic efforts, however, have produced mixed results. While Canada secured tariff reductions on Chinese electric vehicles and agricultural exports, French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit late last year delivered limited economic gains.
For Starmer, closer economic cooperation with China is central to his pledge to raise living standards and boost public investment at home. China was Britain’s fourth largest trading partner in the 12 months through mid 2025, with bilateral trade worth about 100 billion pounds, according to UK government figures.
The strategy has drawn criticism from some British lawmakers and US politicians who warn against deepening ties with Beijing. Starmer’s government has said engagement does not mean ignoring security concerns and that economic dialogue can coexist with firm positions on values and national interest.
