China’s President Xi Jinping now finds himself in an enviable position enjoying kind of a special superpower status as countries, including US allies in the NATO, are going out of their way to forge ties with China. Irony is that the position has been thrust upon him in a changed global geopolitical scenario following US President Donald Trump’s new policy of antagonizing his country’s trusted, age-old allies with tariffs and war threats. On the other hand, Trump himself is trying to woo Xi, while he warns others against doing so. One of the countries rushing to Beijing to cement ties is the UK. Its Prime Minister Keir Starmer recently met Xi ostensibly to sign agreements for trade and investment. The underlying intent could be to create a balancing factor so as not to be too reliant on the US which has become unpredictable under Trump. Starmer might be counting on economic deals with China to prevent the US President from dictating terms to the UK and other European countries.
This becomes clear from the fact that no big trade deals have been signed by the two countries during Starmer’s visit. Sending a message to Trump appears to be the main concern rather than making any dramatic shift in the UK’s economic policies vis-à-vis China. Xi would also likely be happy to use the opportunity that the changed situation has provided to have China become the refuge of countries that find their traditional friendships with the US under strain and uncertainty in recent times. In the case of the UK, Starmer appears not too touchy about China not being a democratic country and its controversial human rights track record. Xi has said the UK’s relationship with his country has gone through “twists and turns” over the years but a more “consistent” approach is in both their interests.
Before talks with Starmer in Beijing, Xi said the two men would “stand the test of history” if they could “rise above differences.” For many years China’s status as a second global superpower has become a cause for concern for the world’s democracies. But, Trump’s recent conduct as President of the first-placed superpower makes the challenges more acute. China accounts for just under a fifth of global gross domestic product. Its manufacturing output is greater than all G7 nations combined. It has a formidable AI sector, the only one in the world that competes with the US. It leads the world in green energy technology – a field the current climate-sceptic White House administration is happy to neglect.
In this backdrop, it seems rational for countries like the UK to begin a fresh dialogue with China. Starmer has understood this geopolitical reality and dismissed his opponent and conservative party leader Kemi Badenoch’s claim that he is kowtowing before Xi.
Conservatives in the UK surely have a point, considering the fact that China has trampled on civil rights in Hong Kong, imprisoned Jimmy Lai, a pro-democracy businessman and British citizen, and ruthlessly repressed the Uyghur minority. Starmer promised to raise these issues during his visit to Beijing. The contradiction between upholding values of democracy and befriending President Xi is stark but out of necessity. There may not be a reason to refuse engagement, especially when the US under Trump has been dumping one ally after another.
After their meeting, Starmer said his talks with Xi had been productive and the relationship between the countries was in a “good, strong place.” He made a series of announcements that could unlock new opportunities for British businesses. In a significant move, China agreed to a visa waiver for British tourists and business travellers, ending the requirement for travel to be no more than 30 days and bringing the UK into line with 50 other countries. The UK also signed a number of agreements with China on closer economic cooperation, including greater trade and services, making it easier for British firms to operate there.
Xi played his cards well, reminding the British PM of the ups and downs in the relationship between the two countries and at the same time emphasizing the need to not “shy away from difficulties” and press ahead. He said the two countries should take a broad perspective, rise above differences and respect each other. Then only, he concluded, “we will prove ourselves able to stand the test of history.”
It might be time for Trump to pay attention and recalculate his strategies. His policies might quite literally be creating a new world order with changed axis and geopolitical alliances.