After Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer also met Xi Jinping in Beijing, relaunching bilateral dialogue after years of frost. It’s not a return to Cameron’s golden age, but some deals were quickly struck. German Chancellor Merz also arrives soon: a wave driven by the uncertainty caused by Donald Trump
After Canada, it’s the turn of the United Kingdom. The United States’ closest and closest allies are rushing to Xi Jinping’s court in an attempt to revive relations with China and overcome the commercial and strategic uncertainty caused by Donald Trump. Less than two weeks after welcoming Mark Carney and signing a series of trade deals, the Chinese president yesterday pulled the rug out from under Keir Starmer’s feet. The Labor leader appeared awkward in front of the guard of honour, the first to welcome a British prime minister since 2018. As he passed the soldiers Starmer stopped, so much so that the Chinese prime minister Li Qiang had to show him the path and invite him to continue. All material used by the Tory opposition, which attacks him for having gone “to kowtow” to Xi.
But the meeting broke the deep frost that had settled between the two countries after the “golden age” evoked in David Cameron’s time. “It is imperative to revive dialogue between Beijing and London,” Xi said. “It is vital to develop our links,” echoed Starmer, accompanied by around 60 managers from major British companies, from pharmaceutical and financial giants to automotive and energy groups.
The message is clear: the “reset” must not only be diplomatic, but above all economic and industrial. As already happened with Carney’s Canada, the trip immediately produced some concrete results, starting with trade. The two sides have agreed to reduce Chinese duties on Scotch whiskey from 10 to 5 percent. The British pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca has instead announced a major investment of 15 billion dollars by 2030 to expand production and research and development in China. The package includes around ten agreements and memorandums of understanding ranging from food safety to export cooperation. London and Beijing have also launched a feasibility study for a possible bilateral services agreement. As already done with Ottawa and many other Western countries, Beijing also announced visa exemptions for British citizens traveling to China for stays of up to 30 days.
Starmer says he raised the issue of human rights and the case of publisher Jimmy Lai, just convicted of subversion in Hong Kong. But there are agreements on security: a strengthening of cooperation against illegal immigration has been agreed, with the sharing of information to counter the use of Chinese-made engines and boats in clandestine crossings of the Channel. It’s a slippery slope. There is no shortage of criticism in London for the risks associated with sensitive information, especially after the controversial green light for the new mega Chinese embassy in the former Mint building arrived last week.
After the three hours of dialogue, there is time for lunch of cod and sweet rice dumplings. Starmer gave Xi a soccer ball used last Sunday in the match between Arsenal and Manchester United, which is said to be the Chinese leader’s favorite team, with the players’ autographs.
Also arriving in Beijing is German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Chinese media openly speak of a “wave” of recalibration of relations with China, triggered by tensions over tariffs, Greenland and Ukraine. Starmer, for his part, is trying to walk a fine line: relaunching relations with Beijing without giving the impression of a rift with the US, to obtain from Xi what seems increasingly difficult to have from Trump: a stable and pragmatic relationship.
Di Lorenzo Lamperti
[Pubblicato su il Manifesto]
Born in 1984, journalist. Editorial director of China Files, he takes care of the production of thematic monthly mini e-books and the periodic review “Go East” on Italy-China-East Asia relations. Responsible for the editorial coordination of the Italy-ASEAN Association. He writes about China and Asia for various newspapers, including La Stampa, Il Manifesto, Affaritaliani, Eastwest. He also collaborates with ISPI. He curates the “Asian Pills” review on Asian geopolitics.
