Despite the frosty relations since the so-called ‘golden era’ under Theresa May, it is not hard to see why Starmer is keen to foster a better relationship with the second-largest global economy. An expert from Chatham House, Dr Yu Jie, said that a trade deal could be in sight which would be of great worth to Starmer who based much of his 2024 election campaign on the promise of growth. Such a deal with China may help to spur this aspiration. Xi also gave a positive comment on the potential of an improved UK-China relationship and said there is “broad space for cooperation” across areas such as “trade, investment, clean energy, financial services and improving our people’s well-being”.
However, this productive rhetoric may be thrown under the bus by the looming inauguration of Donald Trump as President of the United States. Trump’s cabinet is showing signs of a hard-line policy on China and has already threatened tariffs that could set off a global trade war. The President-elect will no doubt pressure the UK to show solidarity with his anti-China policies. This will be a fine balancing act for the UK and one which could pay dividends if successful, or risk isolation on the global stage if not.
This will be a fine balancing act for the UK and one which could pay dividends if successful, or risk isolation on the global stage if not.
As well as pressure from Trump, Starmer will also be under pressure at home to step back from closer relations with China due to fears over cyber and economic security, as well as China’s tenuous human rights record. Of particular concern to sceptics in the UK is the ongoing detainment of British citizen and Hong Kong democracy activist, Jimmy Lai. The issue of Lai and China’s human rights record was raised by Starmer in his meeting with the Chinese president, which resulted in the removal of journalists from the meeting room, highlighting that this will be an area of tension on any deal between the two countries. Labour does not see these human rights transgressions as reasons not to engage with China and intends to “cooperate where we can, compete where we need to, and challenge where we must”. However, we must question China’s tolerance of being challenged given its reaction to Starmer’s enquiries on the human rights issue.
Navigating a relationship with China whilst also keeping them at arm's length will present a significant challenge for Keir Starmer as he seeks to grow the UK economy through a “reconnected” Britain and simultaneously allay the fears that China hawks both at home and across the Atlantic.
