The UK will adopt a more pro-business approach to China but not trade its national security for greater trade ties, Keir Starmer said as he sought to clarify his Labour administration’s approach to the Asian nation.
In his annual speech on foreign policy, Starmer said that how the UK deals with China will have more consequences for Britons than any other global shift, vowing to make it a central feature of his foreign policy. He said Britain needed a China policy that recognized the reality the Asian nation is a “defining force in technology, trade and global governance” while also posing a national security threat.
“This is not a question of balancing economic and security considerations,” Starmer said in the speech in London. “We don’t trade off security in one area, for a bit more economic access somewhere else. Protecting our security is non-negotiable — our first duty. But by taking tough steps to keep us secure, we enable ourselves to cooperate in other areas.”
Starmer is seeking to draw a line under a turbulent period for UK-China relations ahead of a decision on a new London embassy for the Asian nation and a potential visit to the country next year. He said he rejected the “binary choice” of successive Tory administrations that first hailed a golden age in relations “which then flipped to the Ice Age.”
The British premier is also seeking to clarify his policy on China after months of confusing messaging about how big a threat the Labour administration deems Beijing to be.
Starmer said he wants British businesses to be able to benefit from the opportunities presented by China, in particular financial and professional services and the creative and pharmaceutical industries, including luxury goods. He said the government’s investment minister is currently visiting the country. Still, he warned that Britain would seek to shield its defense, artificial intelligence, and critical infrastructure — industries which require greater security.
Starmer’s China Woes Mean an ‘Unwieldy Mess’ Just Got Messier
The Labour government has sought a rapprochement with China since coming to power 17 months ago, including through visits by Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves and then-Foreign Secretary David Lammy. But at the same time, there have been reminders of the perceived threat posed by Beijing, including a warning to politicians in October from the UK’s domestic security service, that they are being targeted by spies from China.
“Our response will not be driven by fear, nor softened by illusion,” Starmer said. “It will be grounded in strength, clarity and sober realism.”
The UK is due to make a decision next week on whether China can build what promises to be the largest diplomatic premises in Europe on the site of the former Royal Mint, near the Tower of London. The government has delayed the decision a number of times, in part due to cross-party pressure not to give the go-ahead, especially in the wake of the collapse of an espionage case in which two Britons were accused of spying for Beijing.
Starmer Says UK Won’t Cave to Threats Over China’s Embassy
After the initial flurry of visits to China by senior UK officials, the tempo slowed when Donald Trump, famous for this hawkish approach to China, re-entered the White House earlier this year. That saw the UK prioritize its relationship with the US and European Union as Russia’s war on Ukraine intensified and trade relations took a hit. But Britain is again stepping up efforts, with Starmer expected to visit Beijing in the new year.
Starmer, who was relatively inexperienced on foreign policy before entering politics, has taken a leading role within Europe on issues like Ukraine and acting as a bridge between Trump and the EU. In his speech, he sought to make a patriotic case for internationalism, amid criticism that he spends too much time abroad focused on foreign policy issues rather than domestic concerns as his support at home has dwindled.
He also outlined his approach to the EU, following last week’s setback in relations after negotiations to join the bloc’s weapons fund ended in failure.
Starmer said Britain is still dealing with the consequences of the “wild promises” that were made in the lead up to Britain’s exit from the EU almost six years ago. In a critique of both the left and right of UK politics, Starmer said those who propose choosing between Britain’s allies, leaving the European Convention on Human Rights or NATO, will take the UK backward with their “corrosive, inward-looking attitude.”
“It offers grievance rather than hope. A declinist vision of a lesser Britain – not a Great Britain,” he said. “Moreover, it is a fatal misreading of the moment, ducking the fundamental challenge posed by a chaotic world — a world which is more dangerous and unstable than at any point for a generation, where international events reach directly into our lives.”
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