Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Friday that the United Kingdom has a “huge amount to offer” China, defending his push for closer engagement after US President Donald Trump warned that dealing with Beijing was “very dangerous.”
Starmer’s visit marks the first trip to China by a British prime minister in eight years. It comes as several Western leaders including those from France, Canada and Finland have travelled to Beijing in recent weeks, seeking stability amid increasingly unpredictable US foreign policy moves, from tariff threats to Trump’s attempt to purchase Greenland.
Trump’s criticism did little to deter Starmer. Speaking to UK media, he noted that the United States and Britain remain close allies and that Washington had been briefed on the visit in advance. He also pointed out that Trump himself is expected to visit China in the coming months.
China responded cautiously to Trump’s remarks, with its foreign ministry saying it was willing to deepen cooperation with all countries on the basis of “mutual benefit and win‑win results.”
During his trip, Starmer met President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang, with both sides emphasising the importance of rebuilding ties. Addressing British and Chinese business leaders in Beijing, Starmer said the meetings had been “warmly engaged” and had delivered “real progress.”
Downing Street announced that China had agreed to introduce visa‑free travel for British visitors staying under 30 days, though Starmer acknowledged that no start date had been finalised. Beijing later said it was “actively considering” the arrangement.
Starmer also confirmed that China had lifted sanctions imposed in 2021 on several UK lawmakers who had criticised Beijing’s treatment of its Uyghur Muslim minority. He said President Xi assured him that “all parliamentarians are welcome.”
After Beijing, Starmer travelled to Shanghai, where he met students at the Shanghai International College of Fashion and Innovation, a joint programme between Donghua University and the University of Edinburgh.
The visit produced a series of agreements covering cooperation on migrant‑smuggling supply chains, health, trade and a strengthened bilateral commission. China also agreed to halve tariffs on British whisky to five percent. According to Starmer’s government, British companies secured £2.2 billion in export deals, £2.3 billion in market‑access gains over five years, and hundreds of millions in new investments.
Xi told Starmer that China and the UK should expand dialogue and cooperation amid a “complex and intertwined” global environment. Relations between the two countries have been strained since 2020, when Beijing imposed a sweeping national security law on Hong Kong and cracked down on pro‑democracy activists.
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