【By Observer Net, Xiong Chaoran】Long before last November, British media had already reported that UK Prime Minister Starmer might visit China in January this year. Now, as the end of January approaches, more details about the visit have been disclosed by British media.
On January 21 local time, Reuters quoted three informed sources exclusive reports stating that Starmer plans to visit Beijing next week, during which the UK and China will restart the "Golden Age" business dialogue, with many executives from both sides' companies expected to participate.
It is reported that British companies such as AstraZeneca, BP, HSBC, InterContinental Hotels Group, Jaguar Land Rover, Rolls-Royce, Schroders Investment and Standard Chartered will join a reorganized "UK-China CEO Council". The council was initially proposed by then UK Prime Minister Theresa May and the Chinese side in 2018, when bilateral relations were at what both sides called the "Golden Age".
The sources added that the Chinese corporate representatives are expected to include China Bank, China Construction Bank, China Mobile, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, CRRC Group, China National Pharmaceutical Group, and BYD, among others.
The sources said that the related negotiations have been under discussion for some time, but the talks only began to be formally advanced because Starmer's visit largely depends on whether the UK approves the construction of the largest embassy in Europe by China in London.
On January 20 local time, the UK government issued a statement announcing the approval of the planning for the new embassy complex of the Chinese ambassador in the UK. Three sources added that due to the recent decision regarding the embassy trial, other details of Starmer's visit to China are still being finalized. In addition, they warned that US President Trump's recent threat to acquire Greenland may also disrupt the visit.
One of the sources said that the UK may announce Starmer's visit and its schedule as early as January 23 local time.
On January 19, 2026, in London, UK, UK Prime Minister Starmer held a press conference on the Greenland issue. IC Photo
According to the report, the formal English name of the council and other details still need to be determined. The UK government is unwilling to include the term "CEO" in the name, while the Chinese side plans to use the same Chinese name used in 2018.
However, none of the sources can confirm which CEOs will attend the events. A source from one company revealed that their CEO cannot attend the event, mainly because it is still unclear whether Starmer's visit will take place.
For this reason, Reuters contacted all the companies expected to attend as well as the UK and Chinese sides for comments, but did not receive immediate responses.
Reuters pointed out that after the UK banned Chinese companies such as Huawei from participating in its 5G network construction in 2020, commercial relations between the two countries began to deteriorate; in 2022, UK MPs led an effort to buy shares of China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) in a nuclear power plant being developed by EDF in France through taxpayer funding and excluded CNNC from the Sizewell C nuclear power project in the UK.
In response, a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in the UK stated that China firmly opposes any practice that restricts the normal entry of Chinese enterprises into the UK market for political purposes or due to interference from third parties. China-UK economic and trade cooperation has great potential and is in line with the interests of both sides. It hopes that the UK will provide a fair, impartial, and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese enterprises in the UK.
According to the report, CNNC was one of the original members of the "UK-China CEO Council", but a source said that due to the so-called "political sensitivity" of Chinese enterprises playing a role in the UK's key infrastructure, CNNC, like Huawei, is unlikely to join the reorganized council.
According to a meeting minutes released by one of the organizers of the initiative, the China Association for International Contractors, at the first meeting of the council in 2018, the Chinese side stated that its goal was to "accelerate two-way investment and expand bilateral trade in a healthier and more balanced direction".
Reuters mentioned that if Starmer's visit to China this month proceeds, it will be the first time since former Prime Minister Theresa May visited China in 2018 that a UK prime minister has visited China, eight years later.
The report emphasized that Starmer's visit aims to reshape the relationship between the UK and the world's second-largest economy, China. Previously, after years of Conservative Party rule, the UK's attitude towards China shifted from one of the most steadfast "pro-China supporters" in Europe to one of the most vocal "pro-China critics," making this visit symbolic.
On December 1, 2023, Starmer delivered a speech at the annual Lord Mayor's banquet in London, an event where the UK government traditionally sets its foreign policy for the coming year. He told the attendees at the time that his government would focus on the relationship with China.
In his speech, Starmer criticized the previous Conservative government, considering their lack of engagement with China as a "dereliction of duty." He said China is a "decisive force in technology, trade, and global governance," and therefore must handle the relationship with China properly.
He pointed out that since 2018, French President Macron has visited China multiple times, and German leaders have also visited four times, but the last time a British leader visited China was in 2018, when the Prime Minister was Theresa May.
In this speech, Starmer continued to hype up the so-called "national security threat" posed by China, while also defending his government's efforts to strengthen engagement with China, emphasizing that this closer economic relationship serves national interests. He added that the UK government hopes to give businesses "the confidence, clarity, and support they need" to do business with China.
"For years, our attitude toward China has been all over the place (blown hot and cold). We have experienced the Golden Age, and then we entered an ice age. We reject this binary choice."
He also said: "It's time to take it seriously, to abandon this simple binary choice—neither the Golden Age nor the Ice Age—and recognize an obvious fact that you can conduct trade and cooperation with a country while protecting your own security."
At the time, Reuters analyzed that when Starmer addressed the business leaders at the historic financial district of London, he clearly articulated his China policy in one of the clearest ways so far.
The Financial Times noted that prior to Starmer's remarks, Sino-British relations had gone through a turbulent period. Due to the dismissal of the so-called "Chinese spy case" and the expectation that the plan to expand the Chinese embassy in the UK would be approved, there was intense controversy in the UK Parliament.
On the day before the UK approved the application for the new embassy complex of the Chinese ambassador in the UK on local time January 20, the Financial Times reported that the UK government had used multiple excuses over the past seven and a half years to delay the approval, including so-called "national security" and "spies" issues, as well as the claim that the project could "interfere with nearby communication cables".
The site of the new Chinese embassy building is located at the former site of the Royal Mint, adjacent to the Tower of London. CNN Map
During the House of Commons session on January 19 local time, several MPs also raised the main obstacles to approving the new Chinese embassy complex — intervention from the United States.
The MPs said that the White House privately expressed "concern," and US House Speaker Johnson recently stated that he personally felt "concerned." He claimed, "We should let friends make their own decisions. But if it were me, I would be very cautious."
Another British media outlet, The Daily Telegraph, reported on January 18 local time that the US had repeatedly intervened in the issue of the new Chinese embassy complex.
The New York Times noticed in October last year that once upon a time, Sino-British relations were developing well. Former UK Prime Minister Cameron had promoted the "Sino-British Golden Age," and his successor, Theresa May, visited Beijing in 2018 to strengthen trade, while Johnson had promised to build a "pro-China government." However, all of this gradually disappeared after the UK government continued to criticize China on "cybersecurity" and "human rights" issues.
This "confused" mentality of the UK was succinctly described by American media: "China is both a 'threat' and a desirable trading partner for the UK."
The New York Times pointed out that the UK faces a contradictory dilemma in its China policy, and the UK government's repeated emphasis on "human rights" and "security" issues has led to tensions in bilateral relations. However, the UK's economy has been weak and lacks investment after Brexit, and is more dependent on trade with China. China is the UK's fifth-largest trading partner, with nearly £100 billion in bilateral trade, which is considered the UK's "economic lifeline."
Previously, regarding the development of Sino-British relations, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning stated that China and the UK are both permanent members of the UN Security Council and major economies, and the long-term stable development of their relations benefits both sides and helps the international community unite to address global challenges and promote world peace and development. "China is willing to work with the UK to uphold the partner positioning, adhere to open cooperation, promote mutual benefit and win-win outcomes, and push the Sino-British relationship to develop steadily," Mao Ning said.
This article is an exclusive article by Observer Net. Unauthorized reproduction is prohibited.
Original: toutiao.com/article/7597811728969253426/
Statement: The article represents the views of the author alone.