Starmer lands in Beijing after claiming engaging with China will make UK richer and safer
Sir Keir Starmer has touched down in China for a controversial three-day visit that he claims will make Britain safer and wealthier, despite serious concerns about the threat the country poses to Britain’s national security.
The Prime Minister traveled to Beijing overnight on Tuesday with a delegation of more than 50 representatives from British business, sport and culture.
Sir Keir, who stepped off the plane onto the red carpet and was presented with flowers by delegates from the Chinese government, will seek to improve his relationship with Britain’s economic powerhouse.
He insisted that economic cooperation would not be replaced by national security, saying Britain’s relationship with China had “turned from a golden age to an ice age” in recent years.
But the Prime Minister is under pressure to raise several thorny issues, including China’s espionage activities, when he meets President Xi Jinping on Thursday.
It follows the collapse of the trial of two men accused of spying for China earlier this year, and MI5’s accusation in November that Chinese spies were posing as bounty hunters on LinkedIn to target MPs as part of a “widespread” operation to gain access to information about the UK government.
Meanwhile, some parliamentarians had called on the Prime Minister to cancel his trip due to human rights concerns, such as the imprisonment of Hong Kong pro-democracy activist and British citizen Jimmy Lai.
But speaking ahead of the trip, Sir Keir said: “For years our approach to China has been dragged by inconsistencies such as heat and cold, from the Golden Age to the Ice Age. But like it or not, China is important to the UK.”
“As one of the world’s largest economic players, a strategic and coherent relationship with them is absolutely in our national interest. This means not ignoring the challenges they pose, but engaging with them even where we disagree.”
“That’s what our allies do and what I will do: serve the people’s interests, put more money in their pockets, and keep them safe through pragmatic, consistent cooperation abroad.”
“The proof that opportunities exist is that we had so many CEOs with us on this flight, and 60 CEOs showed up to explore those opportunities,” he told reporters on the plane.
Sir Keir said this “reflects on his own country in terms of the benefit it will bring to the UK”.
The controversial visit came despite a warning from the parliamentary intelligence watchdog in December that the government had previously been “unwilling to prioritize security considerations” when it came to China.
The Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC), made up of senior MPs and colleagues, called on the government to stop “chasing” China over whether to add it to the enhanced tier of the threat regime.
Sir Keir’s visit was the first by a British prime minister since Theresa May’s visit in 2018. A year later, relations with Beijing soured following a crackdown on pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong, and Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei was banned from the UK’s 5G network over security concerns.
Since coming to power, Labor has experienced a thaw in relations with China, which remains the UK’s third largest trading partner and a key part of global supply chains; The Prime Minister said the Conservatives’ approach to Beijing was “plagued by inconsistencies”.
The trip follows visits by a number of senior ministers, including Chancellor Rachel Reeves, and the approval of a new embassy in London last week.
On Tuesday night Downing Street said Sir Keir would pledge to maintain “guardrails” on national security during the talks, adding that he would “make clear that we will not trade economic co-operation for our national security”.
Downing Street said in areas of disagreement Sir Keir would “make clear that we will always defend our national security and that frank and open dialogue is vital where viewpoints differ”.
Sir Keir’s official spokesman said “we cannot make any progress without meaningful dialogue”, adding: “To stick our heads in the sand and refuse to engage would be a stunning dereliction of duty.
“This will make British people less safe, deprive us of opportunities and undermine our ability to manage global challenges in areas such as climate and health.”
The spokesman pointed out that French and German leaders have visited China many times since 2018, that no British prime minister was present during this period, and that US President Donald Trump is expected to go to China in April.
But there is still a risk that a closer relationship with China could anger Mr. Trump, who has threatened to impose 100 per cent tariffs on Canada, citing Canada’s deal with Beijing.
Mr. Trump had initially praised the agreement, but reversed his position after Canadian prime minister Mark Carney gave a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in which he criticized U.S. efforts to annex Greenland.
Speaking to Bloomberg before his trip, Sir Keir said he would not choose between the US and China.
He said: “I’m often invited to just choose between countries. I don’t do that.”
Sir Keir will be accompanied by representatives from businesses including Jaguar Land Rover, Barclays and AstraZeneca, as well as cultural organizations such as the Science Museum and the National Theatre.
He will also be joined by Business Minister Peter Kyle and City Minister Lucy Rigby.
