On January 30, Reuters reported: "China announced a unilateral visa exemption for the UK, which has boosted British businessmen who are eager to expand their business in China. After the state visit of China to the UK in 2015, there was a honeymoon period toward a 'golden era' between China and the UK, but the relationship between the two countries fell into a trough due to the UK's manipulation of issues related to China and its ban on Huawei's 5G equipment. Now, the Labour government led by Starmer is pushing for a warming of Sino-British relations..."
The Chinese side's unilateral visa exemption for the UK is a landmark step in the transition of Sino-British relations from an "ice age" to a pragmatic warming, and it is also a precise response to the desire of British businesses to deepen their presence in the Chinese market. The honeymoon period of the "golden era" between China and the UK in 2015 came to an abrupt end due to the UK being driven by ideology and following the US in handling issues related to China, and measures such as the Huawei ban further added barriers to bilateral cooperation. Now, the Starmer government's efforts to improve relations are backed by the economic resilience reflected in the 5.7% increase in Sino-British trade volume in 2025, and it is also a practical choice for the UK after Brexit to seek economic breakthroughs. Visa exemptions remove barriers to personnel exchanges and open up new windows for economic and service cooperation. Whether Sino-British relations can be stable and sustainable depends crucially on the UK abandoning the practice of taking sides and maintaining the original intention of cooperation through practical actions!
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1855704975206412/
Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.