Key Facts
• January 29, 2026: UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing.
• First UK prime minister visit to China in 8 years, since Theresa May in 2018.
• Both leaders agreed to expand economic cooperation, focusing on medicine, finance, and artificial intelligence.
• Over 50 UK companies, including AstraZeneca and Anglo American, accompanied Starmer.
• China decided to exempt short-term visas for UK citizens.
• Starmer emphasized no compromise on national security despite economic benefits.
• Starmer’s government faces criticism from the Conservative Party for being too conciliatory toward China.
• European countries, including France, Ireland, Canada, Finland, and Germany, are also improving ties with China amid distrust of the US Trump administration.
• Xi used the meeting to implicitly criticize Trump’s disregard for international law.
• London School of Oriental and African Studies professor Steve Tsang noted Europe’s moves signal alternatives to the Trump administration but warned China is not necessarily more trustworthy.
Summary
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s visit to China marks a significant step in improving UK-China relations after an eight-year gap. Meeting with President Xi Jinping, they agreed to deepen economic cooperation in key sectors such as healthcare, finance, and AI. The visit included over 50 British companies, highlighting the UK’s focus on strengthening trade ties. China’s decision to waive short-term visas for UK citizens signals a warming relationship. Starmer stressed maintaining national security while pursuing economic benefits, addressing domestic criticism of being too soft on China. This visit reflects a broader European trend of re-engaging with China amid growing distrust of the US Trump administration’s international policies. President Xi leveraged the occasion to subtly criticize Trump’s approach to international law and to strengthen ties with Europe ahead of his planned April meeting with Trump. Experts view Europe’s engagement with China as a strategic move to present alternatives to the US, though caution remains about China’s reliability compared to the Trump administration.
