Sources say Starmer aims to redefine UK-China dialogue
During Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s visit to Beijing next week, there is an expectation that the “golden era” trade dialogue will be resumed, according to sources familiar with the initiative.
The sources are British and Chinese companies expected to join a revamped “UK-China CEO Council”. High-ranking executives from companies in both countries were invited to participate.
The council was originally devised by 2018 prime ministers Theresa May and Li Keqiang during a period of relations that both sides dubbed “a golden age”.
London Embassy gives green light for visit
Negotiations had been ongoing for some time.
But Starmer’s visit was largely dependent on approval for the construction of the largest Chinese embassy in Europe in London. The green light was given on Tuesday and talks began in earnest.
Details such as the group’s official English name have yet to be worked out: the British government is reluctant to include “CEO” in the title, while the Chinese side plans to maintain the same Chinese translation used in 2018.
Premier Li Qiang, second in the hierarchy of the Chinese government, is expected to be Beijing’s representative if negotiations continue. The British side could announce Starmer’s visit and schedule as early as Friday.
All sources warned, however, that US President Donald Trump’s threats to acquire Greenland could jeopardize Starmer’s trip.
Starmer works to restore relations with China
A visit by Starmer would be the first by a British leader since 2018.
His government is seeking to reset ties with China, the world’s second-largest economy, after successive Conservative governments turned Britain from one of Beijing’s biggest supporters in Europe to one of its fiercest critics.
In a speech delivered late last year, the Labor prime minister accused previous Conservative governments of a “neglect of duty” for allowing relations with Beijing to deteriorate, noting that French President Emmanuel Macron had visited China twice since 2018 and German leaders four times.
Trade relations soured after the United Kingdom banned China’s Huawei from participating in its 5G networks in 2020, and in 2022 British parliamentarians led a taxpayer-funded purchase of China General Nuclear Power Corporation’s (CGN) stake in a nuclear plant being developed by France’s EDF.
CGN was part of the original board of CEOs but, like Huawei, is unlikely to join the revamped group, one of the sources said, citing political sensitivities in the UK regarding the role of Chinese companies in the country’s critical infrastructure.
At the council’s first meeting in 2018, China’s Li stated that the objective was to “accelerate bilateral investment and expand bilateral trade in a healthier and more balanced direction,” according to a statement released by the China Association of International Contractors, one of the organizers of the initiative.
With information from Reuters on 01/21/2025
Source: https://www.ocafezinho.com/2026/01/21/reino-unido-e-china-devem-retomar-relacoes-comerciais-da-era-de-ouro/
