British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said the UK does not consider China a friend or an enemy as he prepares to depart for an official visit to Beijing late Tuesday. Starmer’s official trip aims to reset and strengthen trade relations despite ongoing tensions over human rights, espionage allegations, and global conflicts.
The visit includes a key bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, where the two leaders are expected to discuss issues such as human rights abuses, Russia’s war in Ukraine, and recent spying accusations.
After Beijing, Starmer will make a short stop in Japan on January 31, confirmed by Tokyo’s foreign minister, to bolster trade, investment, and security cooperation.
The visit is seen as crucial for Britain’s struggling economy in 2026, which continues to face stagnant growth, high inflation, and rising rents in major metropolitan cities.
UK has also approved the construction of a massive 20,000-square-metre Chinese “mega-embassy” in central London—the largest in the UK by area—on the site of the historic former Royal Mint near the Tower of London. Residents have protested the development, warning that it could facilitate surveillance and harassment.
Kerry Brown, professor at King’s College London’s Lau China Institute, commented, “It’s time for the UK to show that engaging China creates jobs and boosts the economy. The United Kingdom must adopt measures to establish trade ties with Beijing without terming it as an ally or an enemy.”
In December 2025, Starmer stated that “China offers economic opportunities but poses a real danger to the UK’s national security.”
During the visit, Starmer is also expected to raise the case of Jimmy Lai, the British citizen convicted in Hong Kong under the National Security Law, and may urge President Xi to secure his release.
Relations between London and Beijing deteriorated sharply in 2020 after China imposed its stringent national security law in Hong Kong, severely curbing freedoms in the former British colony. The trip builds on Finance Minister Rachel Reeves’ visit to Beijing in 2025, as the Labour government prioritises economic revival despite criticism from sanctioned UK lawmakers and those concerned about China’s human rights record in Hong Kong and Xinjiang.
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