Starmer first British PM to visit China in eight years as he seeks to thaw relations

0 January 28, 2026 09:43

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has called for a consistent British policy on China, after a decade that saw a shift from former PM David Cameron’s "Golden Age" to icier years under subsequent governments. Mr Starmer is in Beijing for the first visit by a British leader in eight years. His trip comes just a week after the British government approved China’s to build an embassy in London, despite concerns over espionage. China’s foreign ministry has said it is ready for warmer ties. Olly Barratt reports from London and Tan Si Hui reports from Beijing.