中文
By Hamzah Rifaat Hussain
Lead: After eight years without a British prime minister's visit to China, Keir Starmer's trip to Beijing proved that economic necessity can overcome ideological divides. More importantly, his pragmatic approach may reshape how Europe engages with the world's second-largest economy.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's 2026 visit to China carried symbolic weight. It marked the first visit by a British prime minister in eight years, signaling a recalibrated approach toward Beijing from London through pragmatism, shelving of differences and setting aside past grievances. The visit strengthened the China-U.K. relationship with implications for China's ties with Europe, allowing all sides to potentially hedge against international geopolitical shocks in meaningful, tangible ways.
Both Chinese President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Starmer emphasized moving past differences and avoiding Cold War-style confrontation and inflammatory rhetoric. Xi stated that in a fractured world order, both countries should strengthen dialogue and cooperation as responsible members of the U.N. Security Council. This could open a new chapter in bilateral relations after eight years without top-level visits between China and the U.K. Xi emphasized that mutual trust and continuous engagement, rather than episodic cooperation, are essential for stable state-to-state relations and align with China's vision for peaceful development. Starmer echoed this sentiment, calling for steady China-U.K. relations grounded in mutual trust and focused on trade, investment, finance and growth.
However, such optimism requires upholding global governance in fractured times. Geopolitical rivalries need to be replaced with shared visions for global peace and security, including tackling climate change and ideologically driven conflicts. With narratives shifting toward consultations for tangible solutions, both China and the U.K. can become potential torch bearers of global institutionalism in this regard, whether it is through the World Trade Organization or the United Nations.
Amid persistent global uncertainty, the U.K. and other countries face continued threats to domestic industries, prosperity and growth. Economic engagement, translating into stakeholder ownership, remains pivotal. This aspect of the relationship received a massive boost during Starmer's trip. Pragmatic shifts include pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca committing to invest $15 billion in China over five years, boosting manufacturing and research and development cooperation. China has also lowered tariffs on key British exports such as Scotch whisky from 10% to 5%, with projected benefits amounting to $250 million over five years for the sector alone. Complementing this is an official feasibility study on joint service sector collaboration, projected to build on the U.K.'s $13 billion worth of service exports to China. Such developments clearly indicate mutually beneficial cooperation instead of zero-sum competition, given that China's demand for services is high and the U.K.'s service industries remain a key strength of its economy. As a result, Starmer's visit addresses both countries' needs for expanded export markets and joint financing opportunities.
Then there are practical areas of cooperation discussed to address existential threats instead of perceived ones. These areas encompass security, migration and criminal activities, with both sides agreeing to jointly halt illegal crossings on the English Channel involving smugglers using Chinese-made boats. Such operational cooperation on criminal issues reflects how pragmatic diplomacy can translate into focused joint efforts on issues such as maritime crime.
It's important to note that Starmer's visit did not result in inflammatory language that could otherwise breed skepticism and trust deficits between the two sides. While security issues were discussed, they were not amplified, enhancing prospects for future meaningful engagements.
The U.K. prime minister's visit set an important precedent for future China-EU engagements focused on economic cooperation and mutual understanding.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer communicates with British actress Rosamund Pike (L) and local students during his visit at the Design Innovation Institute Shanghai in east China's Shanghai, Jan. 31, 2026. [Photo by Wang Xiang/Xinhua]
As a result, for China-EU relations, this visit is a promising sign. It follows a trend of European countries, including Ireland, Finland and France, seeking to strengthen relations with Beijing amid international uncertainty. Reckless populism on the part of the United States has compromised economic prosperity on North America, while geopolitical fragmentation in the Strait of Hormuz and in Ukraine has resulted in economic shocks domestically. The visit reflects how structural factors — including the post-Brexit U.K.'s search for strategic autonomy and new partnerships — can influence European views of China as a source of stability.
However, continuity is key. While the U.K. prime minister's visit to China brought optimism, persistence is essential for the relationship to flourish, with permanent rejection of bellicose rhetoric that harms goodwill. In the broader European context, Beijing's interactions with Brussels have vacillated. Nevertheless, Starmer's talks with Xi provide an opportunity for the EU to pursue pragmatic policies with China and manage differences through dialogue and deliberations. Simply put, risk awareness should not be amplified to compromise meaningful engagements.
For Europe specifically, Starmer's visit to Beijing is also consistent with French President Emmanuel Macron's quest to gain more strategic autonomy for Paris and Nordic countries seeking reengagement. The U.K. prime minister's successful visit to China can be a good reference for other European states pursuing pragmatic engagement with Beijing. This, in turn, bodes well for China-EU relations.
In essence, this visit and the understandings reached between Xi and Starmer set an example for engagement between the West and China in 2026. It demonstrates that pragmatic diplomacy is possible, where dialogue instead of deterrence and cooperation instead of competition can take hold. In a global environment marked by protectionism, unilateralism and hegemonism, the visit shows that pragmatic engagement produces positive results where isolation fails. It also highlights that if global leaders can adopt a "grand perspective of history" to rise above differences, international cooperation will expand, bringing benefits to their peoples and the whole global community.
Hamzah Rifaat Hussain is a senior expert at Initiate Futures, a global policy think tank.
