Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is making preparations for a significant diplomatic visit to China scheduled for the end of January 2025, according to multiple sources.
Trip Details and Political Context
Sky News Political Editor Beth Rigby revealed on the Electoral Dysfunction podcast that two separate sources have confirmed the planned visit, though official confirmation remains pending. The timing proves particularly sensitive given the current state of UK-China relations, which have deteriorated following recent security concerns.
Rigby noted the potential controversy, telling Labour peer Baroness Harriet Harman: "They might not really want people talking about the prime minister going to China, given the backdrop of the China spy case, and all of those allegations and all that controversy around China in the UK."
Security Concerns and Diplomatic Tensions
The planned visit follows recent security alerts in Westminster, where MPs and peers received warnings from MI5 about new attempts by Chinese security services to conduct espionage operations. The security service identified two specific recruitment headhunters working for Chinese security services that parliamentary figures should be wary of.
This security briefing came shortly after the collapse of a prosecution involving two individuals suspected of spying on China's behalf. The Chinese embassy has vehemently denied these allegations, describing them as "pure fabrication and malicious slander" and stating they have made stern representations with the UK government.
Economic Imperatives Versus Security Concerns
Despite the diplomatic friction, Baroness Harman argued that the Prime Minister should undertake the visit, highlighting the economic benefits of maintaining ties with China. She stated: "I think he should, but I think there's no naivety around the government about, although there's opportunities to cooperate with China on climate change, on trade, that there's also major challenges that they've got to be wary of - so I think they'll be going, but with eyes wide open."
The visit represents a major diplomatic moment for the UK-China relationship, particularly as the last British prime minister to visit China was Theresa May in 2018. The timing also follows recent international diplomacy involving China, including Donald Trump's meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea, which the US president described as "amazing" and rated "12 on a scale of one to 10."
The final confirmation of Starmer's China trip is expected to be announced closer to the proposed travel dates, with security and diplomatic considerations likely to shape the visit's agenda and outcomes.
