The Tamesis
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is the latest Western leader to arrive in China, seeking to strengthen trade and commercial ties to balance a shaky deal with the Trump administration in Washington.
Starmer, who is traveling with a delegation of more than 50 business people, has taken a softer approach to Beijing than his political rivals at home and abroad, an approach that some critics have called “naive”, particularly in allowing China to establish Giant embassy in central London.
But he clearly saw the need to work to boost the flagging British economy and said Britain should remain vigilant about security but seize any economic opportunities it gets from China.
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“There is no point in burying your head in the sand when it comes to China. Engagement… is in our interest,” Starmer told reporters on a plane to Beijing. [and] This will be a very important trip for us. We’re going to make some real progress. “
The British leader will meet President Xi Jinping and his second-in-command Li Qiang on Thursday before heading to Shanghai for talks with local business leaders.
Unstable relationship
Relations between London and Beijing have been marred by multiple disputes in recent years, most notably a crackdown on Hong Kong after China passed a bill. New security laws for former British outpost 2021, and claims by British security services that China is spying on politicians and launching cyber attack.
But Starmer’s visit provides an opportunity for both sides to bury the hatchet and admit their differences.
The British Prime Minister is one of many Prime Ministers Western officials visit Beijing To hedge against geopolitical risks arising from destabilizing policy shifts undertaken by US President Donald Trump, e.g. Threaten to seize Greenland.
Trump also made highly offensive claims NATO troops avoid frontline fighting Starmer described the remarks as “insulting and shocking” given that 457 British personnel died there.
Meanwhile, amid intense global turmoil, China seems happy to portray itself as a stable trading partner, despite the fact that President Xi Jinping just fired his top general Zhang Youxia is also described as his childhood friend.
The move is the most important step in his decade-long campaign to root out corruption, which has long plagued the People’s Liberation Army and led to Over 200,000 officials have been punished According to CNN, since Xi Jinping took the top job in 2012. But some observers suspect it’s more likely a bid to win a fourth term.
Starmer, meanwhile, played down the possibility of Trump being angered by the visit, saying Britain and the United States have “one of our closest relationships in defence, security, intelligence and trade and many areas”.
See also:
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To vigorously develop renewable energy, China will spend US$574 billion to build power grids
