BEIJING — British Prime Minister (PM) Keir Starmer told Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday that he wanted to build a “sophisticated relationship” aiming to boost growth and security, signaling a breakthrough in ties after years of acrimony.
On the most important day of his four-day visit to China, the first by a British prime minister in eight years, Mr. Starmer held talks with Mr. Xi at the Great Hall of the People before they lunched together.
Mr. Starmer, whose center-left Labour Party government has struggled to deliver the growth it promised, has made improving relations with the world’s second-largest economy a priority, despite lingering 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,” Mr. Starmer told Mr. Xi at the start of their meeting.
Mr. Xi said ties with Britain had gone through “twists and turns” that did not serve the interests of either country and that China stood ready to develop a long-term strategic partnership.
Mr. Starmer is the latest Western leader to engage in a flurry of diplomacy with China, as nations hedge against unpredictability from the United States under President Donald J. Trump.
Mr. Trump’s on-off threats of trade tariffs and pledges to grab control of Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark, have rankled longstanding allies like Britain.
Mr. 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 Mr. Trump’s ire.
Kerry Brown, professor of Chinese studies at King’s College London, said he expected that a number of deals between Britain and China would be announced to show how their relationship has improved.
“This must look like it’s been a success,” he said. “For both sides, they don’t want a meeting which is going to be arguing about things they disagree on.”
BIG BUSINESS DELEGATION IN TOW
Mr. 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,” Mr. Starmer told Mr. Xi.
“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 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.
In a sign of how the countries can work together, Downing Street said Mr. Starmer and Mr. Xi would announce that Britain and China would jointly tackle gangs involved in trafficking illegal migrants.
The deal will focus on reducing use of Chinese-made engines for small boats that transport people across Europe to claim asylum.
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 organized crime, Downing Street said.
Mr. Starmer told reporters on the airplane to China that he would “raise the issues that need to be raised” on human rights with Mr. Xi, when asked if he will bring up the case of Jimmy Lai, the former Hong Kong media tycoon and British citizen who was convicted in December of national security crimes.
But the presence of more than 50 business leaders accompanying Mr. Starmer and his itinerary shows the priority for this trip is economic ties.
It was time for a “mature” relationship with China, Mr. Starmer told a business delegation hours after arriving on Wednesday.
He then dined at a Chinese restaurant known for its mushroom-laden dishes that also hosted former US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen during her 2023 visit.
He discussed how to pronounce the Chinese word for thank you — xie xie — as he posed for photographs with restaurant staff, a video posted on Weibo showed. — Reuters
