The British government has proposed that Prime Minister Keir Starmer visit Beijing and Shanghai from 29 to 31 January, according to two sources familiar with the plan. However, the trip may be postponed if Beijing views the lack of progress on its stalled London embassy project as too politically sensitive for high-level talks.
One source said a final decision on whether the visit will go ahead could be made by the end of this week. The British Embassy in Beijing and China’s Foreign Ministry have not yet commented.
Embassy Dispute Overshadows Diplomacy
The planned visit comes just a day after Britain delayed for the third time a ruling on whether to approve China’s proposal to build Europe’s largest embassy in London. The Department of Housing said the decision, now expected by 20 January, was postponed due to pending security reviews by the interior and foreign ministries.
Beijing purchased the Royal Mint Court site in 2018, but the project has faced strong opposition from local residents, lawmakers, and Hong Kong pro-democracy groups. Critics argue that the new complex could serve as a hub for espionage, with some politicians in both Britain and the United States urging the government to block the plan entirely.
China’s embassy in London has condemned the repeated delays, saying they risk undermining mutual trust and cooperation between the two countries.
Starmer Seeks to Reset Relations With China
Prime Minister Starmer has accused the previous Conservative government of allowing relations with China to deteriorate, calling it a “dereliction of duty.” He noted that France’s President Emmanuel Macron and successive German leaders have made multiple visits to China since 2018, while no British leader has done so since Theresa May’s trip that same year.
Starmer said renewed engagement was vital for protecting Britain’s economic and strategic interests, even as his government continues to scrutinise security risks linked to Beijing.
The embassy dispute remains a major obstacle to restoring dialogue, with both sides navigating a fragile balance between diplomacy and national security. Should the trip proceed, it would mark the first visit to China by a British prime minister in nearly seven years a symbolic step toward recalibrating one of the UK’s most complex international relationships.
(with inputs from Reuters)
