By Andrew MacAskill
BEIJING, Jan 29 (Reuters) – Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer and China’s President Xi Jinping hailed a reset of ties on Thursday, pledging to build an economic partnership with deals including a major investment by AstraZeneca that they said would benefit both countries.
On the key day of his four-day visit to China, the first by a British prime minister in eight years, Starmer spent around three hours with Xi at a formal summit and a lunch, during which the pair also chatted about soccer and Shakespeare.
Starmer is the latest Western leader to head to China, as nations hedge against the unpredictability of U.S. President Donald Trump, and Thursday’s talks also included security issues, Russia’s war in Ukraine and human rights.
The British premier held up a plan by AstraZeneca to pioneer new medicines by investing $15 billion in its Chinese operations as proof of the benefits that could flow to both countries.
But he also said the closer ties would enable Britain to engage in “frank dialogue” when there was disagreement.
STARMER IS STRUGGLING TO IMPROVE LIVING STANDARDS IN BRITAIN
Starmer, whose centre-left Labour government has struggled to deliver the economic growth it promised, has made improving relations with the world’s second-largest economy a priority, despite misgivings about espionage and human rights.
“China is a vital player on the global stage, and it’s vital that we build a more sophisticated relationship where we can identify opportunities to collaborate, but of course, also allow a meaningful dialogue on areas where we disagree,” Starmer told Xi at the start of their meeting.
Xi said ties with Britain had gone through “twists and turns” that did not serve the interests of either country and that China was ready to develop a long-term partnership.
“We can deliver a result that can withstand the test of history,” Xi told Starmer, flanked by his top ministers, at their summit at the Great Hall of the People.
WESTERN ALLIES RATTLED BY TRUMP’S UNPREDICTABILITY
Starmer’s visit comes amid Trump’s on-off threats of trade tariffs and pledges to grab control of Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark, which have rattled long-standing U.S. allies like Britain.
He follows in the footsteps of Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who this month signed an economic deal with Beijing to tear down trade barriers, drawing Trump’s ire.
The British leader told reporters he had made progress in discussions with Beijing to reduce tariffs on whisky, and announced a new agreement whereby Britons visiting China for less than 30 days would no longer need a visa.
The “relationship is in a good place, a strong place,” said Starmer, who is being accompanied by more than 50 business leaders on the trip.
Asked by a reporter if Xi was someone he could do business with, Starmer simply replied ‘yes’.
He described the meeting with Xi as warm and constructive, adding that the pair chatted about major English Premier League soccer clubs, which have a massive fan base in China, as they dined on roasted cod and sweet rice dumplings.
Starmer gifted Xi a ball from a recent match between Manchester United, the Chinese president’s favoured team, and the British premier’s team Arsenal.
TACKLING MIGRANT SMUGGLING GANGS
Ties between Britain and China had deteriorated for years under previous Conservative governments, when London curbed some Chinese investment over national security worries and expressed concern over a crackdown on political freedoms in Hong Kong.
“I made the promise 18 months ago, when we were elected into government, that I would make Britain face outwards again,” Starmer told Xi at the summit talks.
Kemi Badenoch, the leader of Britain’s opposition Conservative Party, said on Wednesday she would not have gone to China because of the security risks the country poses.
British security services say China routinely spies on the government. China denies the claims.
Starmer is also seeking Beijing’s help to bolster security, announcing that the countries would jointly tackle gangs involved in trafficking illegal migrants.
The deal focuses on reducing the use of Chinese-made engines for small boats that transport people across the Channel to claim asylum in Britain.
British and Chinese officials will share intelligence to identify smugglers’ supply routes and work with Chinese manufacturers to prevent legitimate businesses from being exploited by organised crime, Downing Street said.
Starmer told reporters he had a “respectful discussion” with Xi about the case of Jimmy Lai, the former Hong Kong media tycoon and British citizen who was convicted in December of national security crimes.
After arriving in Beijing late on Wednesday, Starmer dined at a restaurant known for its speciality mushroom dishes. He practiced pronouncing the Chinese word for thank you – ‘xie xie’ – with restaurant staff as he posed for photographs, a video posted on Weibo showed.
(Reporting by Andrew MacAskill in Beijing; Additional reporting by Colleen Howe in Beijing; Writing by Andrew MacAskill and John Geddie; Editing by Michael Perry and Gareth Jones)
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