Coming to China, British Prime Minister Starmer promised to maintain a “sober stance” on national security issues. This is the first visit by a British leader to Beijing in eight years.
Britain's Keir Starmer said the government in London would remain “sober and realistic” about the national security threat posed by China as he traveled to Beijing in a bid to improve relations with the power.
The British Prime Minister promised “stability and clarity” in his approach to Beijing after years of “inconsistency” under the Conservative Party, when Western powers turned to China for economic stability amid fears the US may no longer be a reliable partner, The Guardian writes.
Starmer's trip comes amid tensions between Britain and its former ally the United States over Donald Trump's threat to take control of Greenland and his criticism of the Chagos Islands deal that saw London ultimately return it to its rightful owner, the Republic of Mauritius.
Downing Street said Starmer would act in Britain's national interest at a time of growing global uncertainty as events abroad continue to impact people at home. He will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang in Beijing on Thursday for talks.
Starmer has faced domestic criticism for promoting a thaw in relations with China, while the Middle Kingdom is seen by Britain as a threat to national security. The decision to open a new Chinese embassy in London last week angered opposition politicians.
China has also been accused by British critics of trying to recruit informants in Parliament, harassing Hong Kong democracy activists in the UK, suppressing criticism of an academic at a British university and engaging in cyberattacks.
Downing Street said Starmer would maintain national security “safeguards” while discussing the economic relationship with Chinese leaders. But the government says he will not trade one for the other and will raise divisive issues, including human rights abuses.
Prime Minister Starmer said the UK cannot ignore the economic opportunities brought by China, the world's second largest economy and the UK's third largest trading partner, supporting 370,000 jobs for British people.
As the first British leader to visit Beijing in eight years, Starmer vowed to adopt a more pragmatic approach.
“Over the years our approach to China has been inconsistent, from the Golden Age to the Ice Age we have encountered many difficulties. But like it or not, China is important to the UK,” he said. “Because we are one of the world's greatest economic powers, a strategic and consistent relationship with them is absolutely in our national interest. This does not mean we should turn a blind eye to the challenges they pose, but must engage even when we disagree.”
The Conservative Party believes Starmer should not go to China. Shadow Foreign Secretary Priti Patel said: “There is compelling evidence that China poses a serious threat to our national security and it is clear that Keir Starmer is going to China without any leverage. He lacks the courage to stand up for Britain and is bending over backwards to appease Beijing. Starmer has capitulated to the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) over plans to set up a super-corporate espionage center in the heart of their capital us and agreed to hand over sovereign British territory and £35 billion of taxpayers' money to them.” As China's ally as part of the Chagos agreement, Britain cannot allow him to make further concessions or remain silent on China's repression of dissidents like Jimmy Lai or the CCP's efforts to undermine our democracy.”
However, a source at 10 Downing Street said: “Burying our heads in the sand and refusing to engage would be gross dereliction. It would make the British people less safe, make us less empowered and weaken our ability to respond to global challenges in areas such as health and climate.”
Downing Street recalled that Trump met Xi Jinping in October and planned to visit China in April. Since the beginning of 2018, French President Emmanuel Macron has visited China three times, while German leaders visited China four times, but no British prime minister has visited China during the same period.
After his trip to China, Starmer will travel to Tokyo to meet Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.
