Starmer stated that his country did not need to choose between relations with the United States and with China as he began a four-day visit to the country aimed at repairing ties and expanding opportunities for British companies in the world’s second-largest economy.
He brought with him a delegation of over 50 British business leaders, including executives from British Airways, HSBC, and Jaguar Land Rover. Starmer’s itinerary includes Shanghai, the financial capital of the country and an important port, as well as meetings with Xi Jinping and other Chinese leaders in Beijing.
Starmer told members of the UK business and cultural delegation that they were “making history.” “It is in our national interest to engage in dialogue with China,” he said, adding that the relationship brings “enormous opportunities.” “Of course, we will have to manage our differences,” he added.
Earlier, the British Prime Minister told reporters that he would seek to balance dialogue with China alongside concerns for national security. Starmer is the first UK Prime Minister to visit Beijing since Theresa May in 2018.
Relations have deteriorated in the following years due to growing concerns over Chinese espionage, Beijing’s support for Russia in the Ukraine war, and the crackdown on civil liberties in Hong Kong, the former British colony.
