The Associated Press
January 30, 2026
From left, Zheng Zeguang, Chinese ambassador to to Britain, Ren Hongbin, Chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Ge Haijiao, Chairman and Executive Director of the Bank of China Limited (BOC) pose for photos in Beijing, China, Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, Pool) (Kin Cheung)
BEIJING — U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer arrived in the Chinese financial centre of Shanghai on Friday in his bid to boost business opportunities for British firms in the world’s second-largest economy, just hours after U.S. President Donald Trump signaled a possible opposition to any deal between Beijing and London.
Starmer, the centre-left Labour leader, has brought more than 50 business leaders on his trip to China, the first by a U.K. prime minister in eight years.
Starmer suggested Trump’s criticism was aimed more at Canada than Britain. He added that Washington was aware in advance of his trip and its objectives and pointed out that Trump has said he plans to visit China this spring.
“I don’t think it’s wise for the United Kingdom to stick its head in the sand,” Starmer told Sky News. “China is the second biggest economy in the world. Along with Hong Kong, it’s our third-biggest trading partner. And through this visit, we’ve opened up lots of opportunities for jobs and wealth creation.”
Starmer started his trip in Beijing on Thursday, where he met with Chinese leaders including Xi Jinping. The two pledged to pursue a long-term and stable strategic partnership in what was seen as a sign of improving ties after several years of friction between the two countries.
In Washington, Trump suggested that he may oppose any deal between Beijing and London, and then pivoted to Canada, with which he has had a series of sharp exchanges since Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney visited China earlier this month.
“Well, it’s very dangerous for them to do that,” he said, when asked about Starmer’s visit and any U.K. trade talks with Beijing. “And it’s even more dangerous, I think, for Canada to get into business with China. Canada is not doing well. They’re doing very poorly.”
“You can’t look at China as the answer,” he said.
Starmer and Carney are among a series of foreign leaders to visit Beijing as their nations seek to improve ties with China. Many have seen their countries’ economies buffeted by Trump’s tariffs and are looking to expand other export markets.
The British prime minister said Xi agreed to remove a travel ban that had been imposed on several British lawmakers after the U.K.’s former centre-right Conservative government joined the European Union, Canada and the U.S. in imposing sanctions on four Chinese officials over evidence of rights abuses against the Uyghur Muslim people in the far western Xinjiang region.
“This has been a cause of concern in Parliament and for parliamentarians for some time and that is why I raised it on this visit,” Starmer told ITV News. “The response from the Chinese is that the restrictions no longer apply and President Xi has told me that that means that all parliamentarians are welcome to visit.”
It wasn’t clear if the U.K. offered anything in return for lifting the sanctions on British lawmakers, but the Chinese Foreign Ministry said that the two sides agreed to normal exchanges between their legislatures.
Lawmakers who had been sanctioned, including former Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith, issued a statement rejecting any deal to lift the sanctions in exchange for diplomatic and economic concessions.
“We wish to make our position unequivocally clear: we would rather remain under sanction indefinitely than have our status used as a bargaining chip to justify lifting British sanctions on those officials responsible for the genocide in Xinjiang,” the group of seven, including one former member of Parliament, said in a joint statement.
___
Ken Moritsugu, The Associated Press
Darlene Superville in Washington, and Brian Melley in London, contributed to this report.
BEIJING — U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer arrived in the Chinese financial centre of Shanghai on Friday in his bid to boost business opportunities for British firms in the world’s second-largest economy, just hours after U.S. President Donald Trump signaled a possible opposition to any deal between Beijing and London.
Starmer, the centre-left Labour leader, has brought more than 50 business leaders on his trip to China, the first by a U.K. prime minister in eight years.
Starmer suggested Trump’s criticism was aimed more at Canada than Britain. He added that Washington was aware in advance of his trip and its objectives and pointed out that Trump has said he plans to visit China this spring.
“I don’t think it’s wise for the United Kingdom to stick its head in the sand,” Starmer told Sky News. “China is the second biggest economy in the world. Along with Hong Kong, it’s our third-biggest trading partner. And through this visit, we’ve opened up lots of opportunities for jobs and wealth creation.”
Starmer started his trip in Beijing on Thursday, where he met with Chinese leaders including Xi Jinping. The two pledged to pursue a long-term and stable strategic partnership in what was seen as a sign of improving ties after several years of friction between the two countries.
In Washington, Trump suggested that he may oppose any deal between Beijing and London, and then pivoted to Canada, with which he has had a series of sharp exchanges since Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney visited China earlier this month.
“Well, it’s very dangerous for them to do that,” he said, when asked about Starmer’s visit and any U.K. trade talks with Beijing. “And it’s even more dangerous, I think, for Canada to get into business with China. Canada is not doing well. They’re doing very poorly.”
“You can’t look at China as the answer,” he said.
Starmer and Carney are among a series of foreign leaders to visit Beijing as their nations seek to improve ties with China. Many have seen their countries’ economies buffeted by Trump’s tariffs and are looking to expand other export markets.
The British prime minister said Xi agreed to remove a travel ban that had been imposed on several British lawmakers after the U.K.’s former centre-right Conservative government joined the European Union, Canada and the U.S. in imposing sanctions on four Chinese officials over evidence of rights abuses against the Uyghur Muslim people in the far western Xinjiang region.
“This has been a cause of concern in Parliament and for parliamentarians for some time and that is why I raised it on this visit,” Starmer told ITV News. “The response from the Chinese is that the restrictions no longer apply and President Xi has told me that that means that all parliamentarians are welcome to visit.”
It wasn’t clear if the U.K. offered anything in return for lifting the sanctions on British lawmakers, but the Chinese Foreign Ministry said that the two sides agreed to normal exchanges between their legislatures.
Lawmakers who had been sanctioned, including former Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith, issued a statement rejecting any deal to lift the sanctions in exchange for diplomatic and economic concessions.
“We wish to make our position unequivocally clear: we would rather remain under sanction indefinitely than have our status used as a bargaining chip to justify lifting British sanctions on those officials responsible for the genocide in Xinjiang,” the group of seven, including one former member of Parliament, said in a joint statement.
___
Ken Moritsugu, The Associated Press
Darlene Superville in Washington, and Brian Melley in London, contributed to this report.
Starmer and Xi call for deeper U.K.-China ties as Trump shakes up global relations
ByThe Associated Press
Trump tariffs spur new trade talks
The disruption to global trade under Trump has made expanding trade and investment more imperative for many governments. Vietnam and the European Union upgraded ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership on Thursday, two days after the EU and India announced a free trade agreement.
“At a moment when the international rules-based order is under threat from multiple sides, we need to stand side by side as reliable and predictable partners,” European Council President Antonio Costa said in Hanoi, Vietnam.Trade War coverage on BNNBloomberg.ca
Starmer is the fourth leader of a U.S. ally to visit Beijing this month, following those of South Korea, Canada and Finland. The German chancellor is expected to visit next month.
The U.K. leader also met Thursday with Zhao Leji, the chairman of China’s legislature, the National People’s Congress, and Premier Li Qiang, who told Starmer his efforts to improve relations had been “widely welcomed” in both countries.
Starmer told the U.K.-China Business Council he was seeking “a more sophisticated relationship fit for these times.”
“I would like to echo a Chinese phrase, which I think captures the essence of what I’m talking about: pursue common goals whilst reserving differences,” he said. ”That’s what we are working together to achieve.”
___
Ken Moritsugu And Jill Lawless, The Associated Press
Lawless reported from London.
ByThe Associated Press
January 29, 2026
Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer, left, shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping ahead of a bilateral meeting in Beijing, China, Thursday, Jan.29, 2026. (Carl Court/Pool Photo via AP)
BEIJING — The leaders of Britain and China called Thursday for a “strategic partnership” to deepen ties between their nations at a time of growing global turbulence as they sought to thaw relations after years of chill.
Neither Prime Minister Keir Starmer nor President Xi Jinping publicly mentioned Donald Trump, but the U.S. president’s challenge to the post-Cold War order was clearly on their minds.
“In the current turbulent and ever-changing international situation ... China and the U.K. need to strengthen dialogue and cooperation to maintain world peace and stability,” Xi told Starmer at the start of their meeting.Latest updates on international news here
Chinese state broadcaster CCTV said Xi had stressed, without mentioning the U.S. directly, that “major powers” must adhere to international law or the world would regress into a “jungle.”
Starmer said that “working together on issues like climate change, global stability during challenging times for the world is precisely what we should be doing.”
The two leaders met for 80 minutes — double the scheduled time — in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing as their nations try to improve ties after several years of acrimony. Relations have deteriorated over allegations of Chinese spying in Britain, China’s support for Russia in Moscow’s war on Ukraine and the crackdown on freedoms in Hong Kong, the former British colony that was returned to China in 1997.
Starmer is the first British prime minister to visit in eight years.
Xi said that “China-U.K. relations experienced twists and turns in previous years, which was not in the interests of either country.”
Relationship is in ‘a good place’
Starmer’s Downing Street office said Britain wanted “a consistent, long-term, and strategic partnership that will benefit both countries.”
After meeting Xi, Starmer said the leaders had made “really good progress” on a range of issues.
“The relationship is in a good place, a strong place,” the British leader said.
His four-day trip, which is set to include a stop in China’s financial capital, Shanghai, has yielded a raft of business announcements and government agreements, including lower Chinese tariffs on Scotch whisky and 30-day visa-free travel to China for U.K. tourists and business visitors.
Xi appeared to acknowledge the criticism that Starmer has faced for reaching out to China despite national security and human rights concerns. The United Kingdom recently approved controversial plans for a huge Chinese Embassy in London, removing a sticking point in relations but also overriding fears that the “mega-embassy” would make it easier for China to conduct espionage and intimidate dissidents.
“Good things often come with difficulties,” Xi said. “As long as it is the right thing to do in accordance with the fundamental interests of the country and its people, leaders will not shy away from difficulties and will forge ahead bravely.”
Starmer’s visit comes less than two months after a Hong Kong court convicted Jimmy Lai, a former newspaper publisher and British citizen, under a national security law that Beijing imposed on the territory after massive pro-democracy protests in 2019.
Starmer said he raised human rights issues with Xi and the two men had a “respectful discussion.”
Starmer has said he will protect national security while keeping up diplomatic dialogue and economic cooperation with China.
“I made a promise 18 months ago when we were elected into government, that I would make Britain face outward again,” the leader of the center-left Labour Party said. “Because as we all know, events abroad affect everything that happens back in our home countries, from prices on the supermarket shelves to how secure we feel.”
Starmer’s government has struggled to deliver the economic growth it promised and ease a cost-of-living crisis for millions of households and he sees China as a potential source of growth.
More than 50 U.K. business executives have joined him on the trip, along with the leaders of major cultural organizations, as he seeks to expand opportunities for British companies in China and secure Chinese investment in the U.K.
Among the business deals announced on the trip was a US$15 billion investment in China through 2030 by drugmaker AstraZeneca.
Britain is also keen to get more access to the vast Chinese market for U.K. professional and financial services. The two countries agreed to conduct a “feasibility study” as a first step before negotiating a services agreement..
BEIJING — The leaders of Britain and China called Thursday for a “strategic partnership” to deepen ties between their nations at a time of growing global turbulence as they sought to thaw relations after years of chill.
Neither Prime Minister Keir Starmer nor President Xi Jinping publicly mentioned Donald Trump, but the U.S. president’s challenge to the post-Cold War order was clearly on their minds.
“In the current turbulent and ever-changing international situation ... China and the U.K. need to strengthen dialogue and cooperation to maintain world peace and stability,” Xi told Starmer at the start of their meeting.Latest updates on international news here
Chinese state broadcaster CCTV said Xi had stressed, without mentioning the U.S. directly, that “major powers” must adhere to international law or the world would regress into a “jungle.”
Starmer said that “working together on issues like climate change, global stability during challenging times for the world is precisely what we should be doing.”
The two leaders met for 80 minutes — double the scheduled time — in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing as their nations try to improve ties after several years of acrimony. Relations have deteriorated over allegations of Chinese spying in Britain, China’s support for Russia in Moscow’s war on Ukraine and the crackdown on freedoms in Hong Kong, the former British colony that was returned to China in 1997.
Starmer is the first British prime minister to visit in eight years.
Xi said that “China-U.K. relations experienced twists and turns in previous years, which was not in the interests of either country.”
Relationship is in ‘a good place’
Starmer’s Downing Street office said Britain wanted “a consistent, long-term, and strategic partnership that will benefit both countries.”
After meeting Xi, Starmer said the leaders had made “really good progress” on a range of issues.
“The relationship is in a good place, a strong place,” the British leader said.
His four-day trip, which is set to include a stop in China’s financial capital, Shanghai, has yielded a raft of business announcements and government agreements, including lower Chinese tariffs on Scotch whisky and 30-day visa-free travel to China for U.K. tourists and business visitors.
Xi appeared to acknowledge the criticism that Starmer has faced for reaching out to China despite national security and human rights concerns. The United Kingdom recently approved controversial plans for a huge Chinese Embassy in London, removing a sticking point in relations but also overriding fears that the “mega-embassy” would make it easier for China to conduct espionage and intimidate dissidents.
“Good things often come with difficulties,” Xi said. “As long as it is the right thing to do in accordance with the fundamental interests of the country and its people, leaders will not shy away from difficulties and will forge ahead bravely.”
Starmer’s visit comes less than two months after a Hong Kong court convicted Jimmy Lai, a former newspaper publisher and British citizen, under a national security law that Beijing imposed on the territory after massive pro-democracy protests in 2019.
Starmer said he raised human rights issues with Xi and the two men had a “respectful discussion.”
Starmer has said he will protect national security while keeping up diplomatic dialogue and economic cooperation with China.
“I made a promise 18 months ago when we were elected into government, that I would make Britain face outward again,” the leader of the center-left Labour Party said. “Because as we all know, events abroad affect everything that happens back in our home countries, from prices on the supermarket shelves to how secure we feel.”
Starmer’s government has struggled to deliver the economic growth it promised and ease a cost-of-living crisis for millions of households and he sees China as a potential source of growth.
More than 50 U.K. business executives have joined him on the trip, along with the leaders of major cultural organizations, as he seeks to expand opportunities for British companies in China and secure Chinese investment in the U.K.
Among the business deals announced on the trip was a US$15 billion investment in China through 2030 by drugmaker AstraZeneca.
Britain is also keen to get more access to the vast Chinese market for U.K. professional and financial services. The two countries agreed to conduct a “feasibility study” as a first step before negotiating a services agreement..
Trump tariffs spur new trade talks
The disruption to global trade under Trump has made expanding trade and investment more imperative for many governments. Vietnam and the European Union upgraded ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership on Thursday, two days after the EU and India announced a free trade agreement.
“At a moment when the international rules-based order is under threat from multiple sides, we need to stand side by side as reliable and predictable partners,” European Council President Antonio Costa said in Hanoi, Vietnam.Trade War coverage on BNNBloomberg.ca
Starmer is the fourth leader of a U.S. ally to visit Beijing this month, following those of South Korea, Canada and Finland. The German chancellor is expected to visit next month.
The U.K. leader also met Thursday with Zhao Leji, the chairman of China’s legislature, the National People’s Congress, and Premier Li Qiang, who told Starmer his efforts to improve relations had been “widely welcomed” in both countries.
Starmer told the U.K.-China Business Council he was seeking “a more sophisticated relationship fit for these times.”
“I would like to echo a Chinese phrase, which I think captures the essence of what I’m talking about: pursue common goals whilst reserving differences,” he said. ”That’s what we are working together to achieve.”
___
Ken Moritsugu And Jill Lawless, The Associated Press
Lawless reported from London.
No comments:
Post a Comment