Keir Starmer has begun a high-stakes visit to China aimed at resetting UK–China trade and security ties, as he prepares for talks in Beijing with President Xi Jinping later today in the first trip by a British prime minister since 2018.
The prime minister, who arrived in the Chinese capital on Wednesday evening, is due to meet Xi for discussions expected to focus on trade, investment and national security, before travelling on to Shanghai for further engagements with Chinese and British businesses. Downing Street has presented the visit as a bid to deliver economic benefits for the UK while advancing cooperation on security issues, including measures to disrupt people-smuggling supply chains.
A packed schedule of meetings has been laid out for Thursday, beginning with a bilateral meeting with Zhao Leji, the chairman of China’s National People’s Congress. Starmer is then expected to hold his key talks with Xi, followed by a cultural reception and a tour of the Forbidden City. Later, he is due to attend a ceremonial welcome and talks with Premier Li Qiang, with both leaders expected to witness the signing of a series of agreements before a dinner to close the day.
China’s foreign ministry said the visit was an opportunity to rebuild trust and expand cooperation. Speaking earlier on Wednesday, spokesperson Guo Jiakun said Starmer’s trip offered a chance “to enhance political mutual trust with the UK [and] deepen practical co-operation”. Guo added that London had “expressed clear willingness” to strengthen ties with Beijing in a “consistent, long-term and strategic way”.
“To strengthen exchanges and mutual trust, develop bilateral relations, and advance mutually beneficial cooperation is in the interest of both countries and the rest of the world,” Guo said.
The UK government is expected to pursue agreements linked to border security and migration enforcement. Starmer and Xi are expected to sign off on a “border security pact” intended to disrupt the supply of small boat engines used by people-smuggling gangs. Downing Street said the deal would also seek to “scale up” removals of migrants with no right to be in the UK and target Chinese gangs producing synthetic opioids.
The government said more than 60% of small boat engines seized from smuggling gangs last year were manufactured in China. The planned agreement is intended to stop boats and engines from reaching organised criminal networks that send migrants across the Channel in small vessels.
Economics is at the centre of the UK’s pitch, with Starmer leading a large business delegation. More than 50 companies are represented across pharmaceuticals, finance, energy, automotive and services, including AstraZeneca, HSBC, BP, Jaguar Land Rover, Rolls-Royce and Octopus Energy.
The trip is designed to improve market access for British firms, particularly in financial services, while encouraging Chinese investment into UK energy and manufacturing and exploring potential collaboration on green technology. For Beijing, closer ties with a major European economy come as it faces mounting pressure from the United States and seeks to diversify its partnerships.
However, significant obstacles remain. The UK imports far more from China than it exports there, leaving a substantial trade imbalance. Geopolitical tensions, longstanding concerns about human rights and espionage, and domestic political scrutiny in Britain are also expected to shape how far any reset can go.
Starmer’s arrival on Wednesday was accompanied by visible ceremonial gestures. He was greeted at the airport by Chinese officials and presented with a bouquet of flowers. Union flags were also seen flying in Tiananmen Square.
Addressing about 60 British business delegates in the lobby of their hotel on Wednesday night, Starmer framed the trip as a moment of change in the UK’s approach to international engagement. “On this delegation, you’re making history. You’re part of the change that we’re bringing about,” he said.
He added: “We are resolute about being outward-looking, about taking opportunities, about building relationships… and always being absolutely focused on our national interest.”
Asked what issues he would raise with Chinese leaders, the prime minister did not give specifics, saying only that he has “always raised issues that need to be raised” on his trips and did not want to get ahead of meetings.
The visit has also attracted criticism at home. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said the UK should “be talking more to those countries who are aligned with our interests, not the country that is doing everything it can to undermine our economy”. The trip comes amid heightened political sensitivity over UK–China ties, including controversy around government approval for plans for a large Chinese embassy complex in London.
Security concerns have been evident around the delegation. The UK team has been reported to be using burner phones and temporary email addresses amid fears of surveillance.
Away from formal diplomacy, the visit has included a public glimpse of the delegation’s first evening in Beijing. Starmer and his team dined at In & Out, a restaurant serving Yunnan cuisine. Video shared by the restaurant owner showed patrons and staff approaching the prime minister for photographs.
“The young staff were all thrilled. It felt like we were celebrating Chinese New Year,” the owner said.
The restaurant’s menu included several dishes made with Yunnan’s wild mushrooms, which are widely sold in markets and appear on restaurant menus across the southern province during peak season between June and August. The fungi are known for a strong umami flavour, but can cause hallucinations if not cooked properly. Former US treasury secretary Janet Yellen ate similar dishes at In & Out during a visit to Beijing in 2023, later saying she only learnt about the mushrooms’ hallucinogenic properties afterwards.
Starmer last met Xi in 2024 on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Brazil. Today’s meeting in Beijing is expected to set the tone for whether both sides can move from what Starmer has described as an “ice age” in relations towards a more stable working relationship, even as political tensions and security concerns continue to hang over the engagement.